A New Journey
by steinerdavion2183
Summary: A World of Warcraft Fic. The son of a veteran Alliance Paladin starts his first journey from Northshire Valley. Added Chapter 4. Please read and review guys!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer and Authors Note: This is the first time I am attempting to write a fanfic based of World of Warcraft. So please excuse the many mistakes that might pop up in the fic. World and Warcraft, once again, belongs to those great guys at Blizzard Gaming Company, who never fails to create great games, year after year. Anyway... on with the story.

Prologue

It has been ten years since the defeat of Archimonde at Mount Hyjal by the allied forces of the Orcish Horde, led by the Warchief Thrall, and the Alliance led by Jaina Proudmoore and the Night Elves led by the Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage and Tyrande Whisperwind. But yet, the threat of the demonic Burning Legion still remains and suddenly, the factions that were once united soon split apart due to the traces of their old enmities.

Warchief Thrall and the Tauren Chieftain Cairne Bloodhoof remained on Kalimdor, home of the Night Elves. Thrall set up the orcish city of Orgrimmar in the land of Durotar, named after his predecessor and former Warchief of the Orcish Horde, Orgrim Doomhammer, whose hammer and massive black plated armor he currently wore, as well as his late father, the leader of the Frostwolf clan who perished under Gul'dan and Ner'zhul's hands in the past.

Cairne Bloodhoof founded the city of Mulgore upon the rather lush grassy plains of Kalimdor. But as for the undead humans and other beings that had succumbed under the Scourge that broke free from the influence of the Lich King, they threw in their lot with the Horde, but instead of making their home in Kalimdor, they instead to create a community underneath the former city of Lordaeron, and installed Sylvanas Windrunner as their leader, and they called themselves the Forsaken, to distinguish themselves from the mindless undead minions of the Scourge.

The humans instead made their base in Stormwind Keep in Azeroth, and the Dwarves as well as the Gnomes naturally belonged in Ironforge, where they belonged. The Night Elves too, had made a city close to the great tree of Teldrassil, and they named their city as Darnassus. Even as now the full threat of the Burning Legion has not been removed, and the taints of the Legion and the Undead Scourge still remained.

In the village of Northshire, close to where Stormwind Keep is, one such man is about to embark on such a journey. Tyrion Silvermoon was a human, but named after the realm of the Elves due to the deep friendship of his father and an elf from Quel'thalas. He heard the news of how Prince Arthas of Lordaeron was twisted and corrupted into an Undead Knight by the cursed rune blade, Frostmourne and then came back to the Lordaeron capital and slew his father, the king Terenas of Lordaeron.

Arthas's vile deeds continues to spread, first by slaying many paladins of the Order of the Silver Hand in order to revive the necromancer Kel'thuzad into a Lich and then destroying Quel'thalas and corrupting the Sunwell, as well as annihilating the whole mage nation of Dalaran.

Even though it is a thing in the past, he still did not like the Forsaken, even though they were no longer bound to the Scourge. Thankfully his father had survived the massacre, though he was part of the forces that fought in the final few battles in Kalimdor, and returned victorious. And the Forsaken reminded him of an undead former prince who would slaughter his own kind.

And as for the orcs, he held mistrust due to the actions of their kind in the past, as do many people in Azeroth. After all, it was the Orcish Horde and their warlocks who attacked Stormwind Keep many decades earlier, and brought much suffering on Azeroth and its allies, in the wars that took place before the Scourge attacks on Lordaeron and Azeroth. But when his father returned home, he was surprised by his father's praises of the orcs, who according to him were worthy comrades.

Tyrion, of course disagreed, pointing out that it was the Orcs who had made Stormwind and Azeroth suffer in the past. In return, his father shook his head. He simply said. "You are wrong son, but also right in a way. I first thought of them that as well, but this new Orcish Horde is very much different. There are no warlocks, but instead shamans have replaced them. And the new Warchief, Thrall, young as he is, speaks and acts honourably, and the Orcs follow his example to become disciplined honored warriors."

At his son's very skeptical look, his father just laughed and said. "Believe it or not, it is up to you. You will discover it on your own in due time."

Coming back to the present, he saw his father at the doorway and approached him. In his father's hands was a simple short sword in a leather scabbard, which according to his father was the first sword that he had before he joined the Order of the Silver Hand many years ago. And on the table, he also saw some carefully prepared supplies in a pack, including some healing potions, as well as a small pouch of coins.

His father looked at him and said. "It is time son, though I do need to give you some advice. You are new in the world and there are things you do not know as of yet, but you will, in due time. My suggestion is that you keep to the vicinity of Stormwind Keep in your first few explorations and then join a Guild, if you feel you are good enough to do so. And as you become more experienced, you might then want to explore the world a bit, and perform tasks for your Guild. I know I did, when I retired from the army, and then spent the last few years performing errands for a Guild."

He paused for a moment before he continued. "Even better yet, I do believe that Marshal Mcbride might have some tasks for you. You might be my son, but it would be better if you would build up your own reputation along the way."

Tyrion nodded and took the things and then strapped the sword at his belt. He then took the pack, ,which he put into his plane of storage as well as putting the money pouch in his pocket before he turned to his father and said. "Goodbye Father... "

His father nodded. "May the Light guide you, my son, and I wish you luck on your journey ahead."

Tyrion nodded as he stepped out of the house, to set forth on a great journey, full of adventure. He looked back, and waved goodbye to his father one last time, before disappearing down the road towards the streets of the town of Northshire, eager to begin his training and doing tasks for people to improve himself, and then join a Guild.

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	2. Northshire Valley Part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own World of Warcraft. It belongs to the great team at Blizzard, who year after year, produces great games. Thanks you guys.

Chapter 1

As he walked through the streets of Northshire Valley, Tyrion can't help but admire the beauty of the hardwood trees that lined the streets. Elwynn Forest has always been a beautiful place, not to mention quite peaceful in recent years, and has a thriving community of fishermen, miners and loggers.

Of course, recently he heard his father say that there are rumors of kobolds and murlocs moving into the area, and of course since his father still have ties to the Stormwind military, even though he was retired, he has also heard of unsavory characters wearing red colored masks and clothes that has taken up residence in the area recently.

Making a note to ask his father's old friend, Marshal Mcbride about those things later, he slowly walked in the direction of Northshire Abbey, an old but impressive structure that

is the landmark of Northshire Valley. He was only a few steps away from the Abbey's entrance, when a footman bearing the armor and livery of the Stormwind army stood in his path.

"Halt, stranger! State your business in wanting to enter the abbey… this isn't where normal civilians are supposed to be… or are you planning to volunteer yourself to help defend Northshire against threats?" The footman said rather curtly.

Tyrion rolled his eyes at the deputy, knowing who this person is, and he said in a rather polite, but amused tone. "Deputy Willem… are you sure you are not tired in saying those words to every civilian that is trying to get into the Abbey? I'm Tyrion Silvermoon, son of Edgar Silvermane, retired Knight of the Silver Hand. I am here on the behest of my father, to speak to Marshal Mcbride regarding my own journey to contribute to the Alliance, like my father did."

Deputy Willem just smirked behind his helmet. Apparently, Edgar's son is still a bit irreverent as ever, but yet possesses a sense of humor that made people disregard his rather cocky attitude.

He just chuckled and then shook his head and said. "Still irreverent as ever, eh Tyrion? The more things change, the more things stay the same, I suppose. Well, you might be a young Paladin now, following in the footsteps of your father, Tyrion, but don't get cocky alright? In order to get to your father's level, there is a lot of work to be done, and you can start by contributing to the community here… and I don't mean farming, just in case you were wondering… it is a waste of your talents, not to mention that you would blanch at the thought."

Tyrion just smiled at the Deputy, who merely smiled back and continued speaking. "As you know the guards from Stormwind, myself included are hard pressed to keep the peace around here, with so many of my comrades being sent away in distant lands and many threats that are pressing closer and closer to home. So that is why we are recruiting volunteers who are willing to defend their home and the Alliance in general. But I guess you don't need me to tell you that right, since your father sent you to the Marshal?" The last part was said with an amused tone.

Tyrion just rolled his eyes again and said in a rather bored tone of voice. "You got that part right, Deputy… could I please go and see the Marshal right now, please?"

Deputy Willem just grinned and then cocked a thumb towards the abbey and said. "Sure… just go right on in, Tyrion. He has been expecting you anyway. "

Tyrion nodded with a smile and said. "Sure thing, Deputy… I'll do just that." He then turned to leave, but then felt the Deputy's hand on his shoulder, and then turned. "Yes, Deputy? Is there anything else I needed to know, before I see the Marshal?"

Deputy Willem just nodded and said. "I just wanted you to know that once you finished the task the Marshal has for you, come and see me as well. I might have a few things that you can do as well."

Tyrion nodded and said. "Sure, I will do that, Deputy." He then strode into the Abbey and marveled at the architecture for a moment, before seeking out Marshal Mcbride, which wasn't very difficult. After all, the Marshal was bald, though he was jovial person and an old friend of his father's.

The bald Marshal smiled warmly as he watched Tyrion approach and said with a warm and friendly expression on his face. "Ahh Tyrion… good to see you, m'boy! How is your father doing these days?"

"My father is well, Marshal … and he sends his regards. In fact, I was instructed by him to see you to perform some tasks for the community while I am still trying to find my feet in the world. He said it would be best to build a reputation of my own, rather than relying on the fame that my father has gained." Tyrion said warmly, and gave the Marshal an equally warm smile of his own.

The marshal just chuckled and said. "That's Edgar for you… but he is right, m'boy. Your father might be one of the surviving members of the Order of the Silver Hand, and thus is quite famous here in Northshire… though it is a pity he retired since… we could use his strength to maintain the peace around here. Anyway… relying on your parents' reputation will only bring about complacency and arrogance… and those are usually the precursor of a defeat or self destruction. Remember this lesson well, will you?"

Tyrion nodded and Mcbride smiled and said. "Good… now, listen up young Tyrion. I am sure you realize that the human lands are now in danger from threats that come from both the inside and the outside, and furthermore, our forces are stretched thin throughout the Alliance."

He paused for a moment before he continued with a slightly grim expression on his face. "This unfortunately has left some room for corrupt and lawless groups to operate rather freely within our borders. It is a many-fronted battle we wage, m'boy… so I hope that you have girded yourself for a long campaign, since I don't see this ending anytime soon."

Tyrion nodded and said. "I understand Marshal… do you have tasks that I can perform for the community for a start?"

Marshal Mcbride smiled and nodded. "It is good that you are eager to start… very well then. Your first task is one of cleansing, young Paladin… it seems that the Light is strong in your family after all. How well are you versed in the skills that your father taught you, Tyrion?"

Tyrion just chuckled sheepishly and said. "Fair enough, Marshal… I have only been taking short lessons from my father before I departed and I learned some basic skills of my father's profession."

The Marshal nodded and said. "Right… as it is, there is a small clan of kobolds that has infested the woods north of the abbey. Your task is to fight the kobold vermin there and reduce their numbers so that one day we may be able to drive them away from Northshire."

"Understood, Marshal… is there any specific number of vermin that I must slay before I report back to you?" Tyrion enquired before he decided to leave to take on his first quest for the community.

Marshal Mcbride nodded and said with a smile. "Well, besides you we have also enlisted other volunteers, so around eight or ten of them would do m'boy. Do let me know when you have completed your task."

Tyrion nodded and said. "Alright then, I will soon return after I have completed the task." He soon turned and left the Abbey, passing by Deputy Willem, whom he greeted before he made his way to the woods near the Abbey, and immediately he saw the kobolds, which are of a fair number.

They looked like a bunch of scruffy rat men with tattered clothing, and a small pack, and oddly enough a candle on top of their heads. They seem to bring some kind of stick as their weapon as well.

Before he attacked, Tyrion remembered the lesson his father thought about a Seal, and he invoked it, before targeting the nearest Kobold, catching it unawares and running it through with his sword, and it let out a gurgle, before it fell limp as its life fled its body.

Toshi shook slightly, pulling his blade out of the dead kobold, and took several steps back. He had made his first kill… which is the hardest. Even though he knew that this is a mere kobold, a life is a life, and there is no doubt that he would have to do this quite often… even to a fellow human being some day.

Shaking his head out of his thoughts, he soon regained his composure, and then proceeded with his task of slaying nine more kobolds before he decided to report back to the Marshal. But before that, he searched the bodies of the Kobolds that he had slain, and relieved them of some copper coins, which he put into his money pouch.

Strangely enough, he also found some apples in the packs that the dead kobolds carried, as well as some water skins that contained some of the valley's refreshing spring waters, and of course, he took the melted candles from their heads, intending to sell them in town. Though he had to be grateful that these Kobolds don't seem to be very hostile and attack him en masse when one of them was in trouble, which is a good thing. Alone, he might have been able to dispatch these vermin, but if they decided to attack en masse, he might have some difficulty in fending them off, despite the presence of other volunteers that the Marshal and Deputy have recruited.

Though he had to admit that he was feeling slightly unnerved by the presence of some red robed men and women in town, although their numbers were not very high. Warlocks… the sight of them made him slightly unnerved, because of what they are. After all Warlocks deal with the shadow and darkness, not to mention the summoning of demons from the Twisting Nether, an antithesis to the Paladins and Priests who invoke the power of Light. Not to mention that it was warlocks that caused the Alliance grief during the first two wars in the past.

Shrugging to himself, he made a mental note to keep an eye on any human warlock that he came across, just in case any of them has any indication of being corrupted through the power they are now drawing from. He soon made his way back to the Abbey and reported to the Marshal that he had finished his task.

The Marshal smiled warmly and said. "Good job, m'boy!" He then patted Tyrion on his shoulder and said. "I am grateful for what you have done for a start, m'boy. Those kobolds are cowards and ordinary thieves, but in large numbers they might be a serious threat to us all." He then handed Tyrion 25 pieces of copper coins. "Here's the reward for the first task that you would help me do."

Tyrion accepted the coins, and put them into his coin pouch, before he asked. "Do you have anymore tasks for me, Marshal?"

The Marshal shook his head and said. "I am afraid not, m'boy… but you can look for Deputy Willem and ask him if he has any tasks you can perform for the community."

Tyrion nodded and was about to leave, when the Marshal called him back for a moment. He then asked. "Is there anything else, Marshal?"

The Marshal just smiled and said. "Actually there is…. M'boy. I was asked to bring one thing to your attention as soon as you returned. Brother Sammuel, our local paladin trainer has asked me to pass a letter to you, and I suggest you read it before you embark on any more tasks that you need to perform for the community here." He then passed the letter, which has a wax seal there to Tyrion.

He took the letter in his hand and said. "Thank you Marshal, I will do just that." He then left the Marshal and wandered into a secluded part of the Abbey and looked at the letter in his hand. He felt the holy aura that surrounded this letter, and then opened it, and read the piece of paper inside, which reads:

_I hope this letter finds you well, paladin. _I _say that with great pride, because not many can profess such profound faith, but also know that they are among the most elite of Azeroth's protectors. _

_Always remember, first and foremost, it is your duty to go to battle against those who seek to harm our world and bring corruption into our homes. _

_I have been given authority over your training for the time being. When you are ready, seek me out inside_ _Northshire Abbey._

- _Brother Sammuel, Paladin Trainer_

Tyrion closed the letter, and stored it in his storage plane, before enquiring the whereabouts of Brother Sammuel, and one of the acolytes inside the Abbey directed him to the interior of the Abbey, where a muscular looking man wearing scale mail and scale boots, holding a hammer stood there. He had brown hair and a mustache, and he looked quite experienced in his field. As Tyrion approached, the man looked in his direction, and once he was in front of him, the man spoke calmly. "Are you by any chance, Tyrion Silvermoon, son of Edgar Silvermane, whom I asked the good Marshal to deliver a letter to?"

Tyrion nodded and said. "I am, Brother Sammuel… you wished to see me for something?"

The other man smiled warmly and said. "Indeed… it is good to finally meet you like this, brother to brother. I am here to help you to learn things on how things are done here, as a fellow Paladin. Stormwind City is not too far off, and while I suggest you take the time to contribute and help out this community, it is inevitable that your path would take you to Stormwind… so please be patient for the moment, Knight of the Silver Hand."

Tyrion looked confused for a moment, and then asked. "I mean no disrespect, Brother Sammuel… but I have yet to be inducted formally into the Order. How could you say that I am a Knight of the Silver Hand?"

Brother Sammuel just chuckled and said. "Your father had already put your name into the enrolment list into the Order many years ago, young Silvermoon… and when you are of age, you are automatically considered a member of the Order. Why do you think your father has begun training you in the ways of the Order a year ago? It is to prepare you for your new status as a Knight of the Silver Hand."

Tyrion looked surprised for a moment, but then smiled to himself. _Trust father to plan everything in advance… he never changes, wanting me to walk in his path… come to think of it, I did want to become a paladin when I was young. I guess he really made the effort to make my dream come true. _He then said. "I see… then what shall I do as a member of the Order, Brother Sammuel?"

Brother Sammuel just smiled, and patted Tyrion's shoulder. "Nothing for now, young paladin, except that I am here to give you some advice. You should know one or two things that you need to remember. The first is that you are a symbol to many people in this land, you and your fellow brothers and sisters in the Light, so I expect you to act accordingly befitting your station. The Holy Light shines brightly within you, and it is obvious to your friends and enemies alike."

He paused for a moment before he continued. "Another thing you need to take note of is that as you gain power and wisdom through your experiences, you will need to train to unlock more of your abilities as a Knight of the Silver Hand. That is where I come into the picture… I will be here to teach you the things that I feel you are ready to learn, so do stop by and seek me out when you feel that you are ready to learn something new."

Tyrion nodded and said honestly. "I will do that, Brother Sammuel… could you teach me a few things right now? I really feel better if I was more prepared to face the tasks that lie ahead of me in the Valley."

The dark skinned man grinned and said. "My… aren't you eager, young Tyrion? But I suppose such enthusiasm is a good thing to have in a person. Very well then, I see no harm to teach you a basic aura that paladins use to help them better defend and fortify themselves. Now follow my lead… close your eyes and call forth the Light to surround you in its warmth."

Tyrion nodded and then did as he asked, and soon he felt the warmth of the Light surrounding him, and then he opened his eyes, only to see a light blue glow outlining his body, and a sigil was seen glowing softly below his feet.

Brother Sammuel smiled and said. "Well done, young Tyrion… you seem to learn quickly, which is a good thing. This is an Aura of Devotion… one of the many Auras a Paladin can invoke to strengthen himself and his allies. You have learned well… now go and continue to assist the people in the community. I will be here once you feel you are ready to learn something new."

Tyrion nodded and thanked Brother Sammuel before he left the Abbey and made his way to Deputy Willem. "Hello there Deputy… you said you wanted to see me once I have completed the task that the Marshal has given me?"

Deputy Willem nodded and said. "Indeed Tyrion… actually Eagan is the one that needs help here. He asked me to bring this to your attention… well anybody's attention that is willing to help him that is."

Tyrion raised an eyebrow and said. "Eagan? You don't mean Eagan Peltskinner don't you? What kind of help does he need anyway? Surely it isn't to help him skin animals now, do you?"

The deputy just chuckled and said. "Well I do not know if he needs help in skinning animals… he might, but actually he actually wants people to hunt wolves for him. I can't agree more with him, since we had a sudden increase in numbers of the wolf population in the woods lately."

He paused for a moment, and said. "Like I said, he is looking for help… that is if you are willing to do so. If you don't want to do it, it's fine… though I think it would be safer for the town if the numbers of those wolves are reduced somehow. He's around the side of the abbey, to the left if you want to find him."

Tyrion nodded and said. "Well, I suppose I can do that…. Thanks for the information, Deputy, I will go look for Eagan right now." He then turned and left, and followed the directions that the Deputy had just given him. He soon found a man dressed in leather armor, with the exception of his pants.

He then approached the man and asked. "Excuse me, good sir, are you by any chance, Eagan Peltskinner?"

Eagan turned to see Tyrion and he nodded and said. "Why yes, I am Eagan… is there something that you want from me?"

Tyrion nodded and said. "Well, Deputy Willem mentioned something about you needing help to take care of the wolf problem in the woods. I wonder if it is true, that's all."

The man smiled warmly and said. "It's true that I did put in a request with the good deputy to help me find somebody hunt those wolves. Are you that person, I wonder?"

Tyrion nodded and Eagan said grimly. "Thank you for lending your assistance young man… I have a serious problem in my hands right now, and it involves the wolves in the woods right now."

The young paladin nodded and said. "I know, Eagan… Deputy Willem had mentioned that the wolf population in the woods have increased lately… do you wish me to kill some of them, like the kobolds that the Marshal had me do earlier?"

Eagan nodded, but then smiled sadly. "Yes, my young paladin… but it isn't that simple as just killing them."

"Whatever do you mean by that, Eagan?" Tyrion asked rather curiously, since he could tell there was a regretful note in the man's voice.

Eagan sighed and said. "Just recently, I noticed that there seems to be some kind of illness that has struck the wolf population in woods. At first I thought it was a natural phenomenon, but after some time, I began to notice that whatever it is that is affecting these wolves doesn't seem to go away at all, and each day that passes only increases the number of sick wolves in the forest."

He paused for a moment before he continued, a weary tone in his voice as he looked at Tyrion, suddenly looking slightly older than he is right now due to the heavy feelings that had come upon him. "It pains me to ask this of you, since I am asking you to kill nature's beasts, but I am afraid we have little choice but to destroy the young wolves before this little outbreak turns into an epidemic."

He then took out a skinning knife and handed it to Tyrion. "Here… I am lending you one of my skinning knives for the moment. Once you have killed the wolves, skin them using this and bring their pelts to me. Oh, and you can have this pair of gloves too, for the moment. These are an old pair, and I won't be using them anymore, and you can dispose of them when you are done, since you don't want any disease that the wolves have to spread to the community."

Tyrion nodded and said. "It will be done as you ask, Eagan… I will return soon with the pelts that you require." He put on the old worn skinning gloves and strapped the skinning knife to his belt before making his way to the woods where the wolves are found.

He then remembered something and then returned to Eagan and said rather sheepishly. "By the way, Eagan, I almost forgot. How many pelts do you need retrieved for this task that you are giving me?"

Eagan just smiled softly and said. "You don't have to apologize, young paladin, tis my fault for not informing you of the number of pelts that I wanted after all. All I need is eight of those pelts, no more, no less."

Tyrion nodded and said. "Thanks for the information… I will get the job done, and return to you as soon as possible." He then turned and walked towards the direction of the woods once more.

It didn't take very long to find them, as it was obvious that the wolves that are sick have some kind of sickly aura surrounding them. He felt sad for them, as Eagan did to see such majestic creatures being affected this way. But it is just as Eagan said, this was necessary to prevent the small number of diseased wolves to increase in number.

With a heavy heart, Tyrion strode forward and started attacking the nearest diseased wolf, and killed it quickly, since he had the element of surprise. The others were not as easy, however, though he managed to avoid any major injuries, receiving only minor scratches, which he managed to heal by using his own abilities.

He then took the skinning knife out of his belt and then slowly and meticulously used the knife to skin and gutted the wolves. As expected, there were minor lesions and boils on the wolves' skin, though it didn't look like it was too serious. Still, he was sure that since Eagan was concerned, there is definitely something worthy to note, and why he wanted those pelts. Perhaps he is going to have them sent somewhere to be studied?

Shaking his head at such thoughts, and since he thought it was really his business what Eagan wanted to do with the pelts, or even where it is going to be sent, should his guess be correct, he decided to focus his attention in the skinning of the wolves. To his surprise and delight, some of the wolf meat did not seem to be affected by the disease, and so, he managed to carve some of them up, and cleaned them before storing them inside his plane, as well as some of the broken teeth and claws of the wolves, which he thought he is going to sell later.

Once he was done, he left the woods and made his way back to Eagan, who looked at him rather expectantly.

"Ahhh, you are finally back, Tyrion… how goes the hunt for the diseased young wolves that I asked you to do?" He asked with a grim smile on his face.

Tyrion just looked at Eagan grimly and said. "I have done as you asked, Eagan… here is the proof of the task." He soon took out the diseased wolf pelts, all eight of them and put them down in front of Eagan's feet.

The older man looked at the pelts and then back at Tyrion. "I see… well, this was a rather grim task you have just performed… but I am glad that you held up your part of the bargain. I have two items that I can offer you as a reward… wait here for a while, young paladin, I will go and get them."

Eagan left the place for a moment, and then returned with a pair of Fur Lined Shoes as well as a pair of bracers. He then looked at Tyrion and said. "These are the two items I am talking about. One is a pair of Fur-lined Shoes, and the other a pair of Wolfskin Bracers. But before you worry about these being diseased, you should not, since these used to belong to me a long time ago. All you need to do now is take your pick… whichever you prefer the most."

Tyrion looked at the two items for the moment before he set his eyes on the bracers and said. "I'll pick this one, Eagan. I think I would be better using this one, than the shoes."

Eagan nodded and said. "A good choice… though I'll give you the boots as well. To be honest, it's not like anyone is going to use them for a very long time… and you are the only one that even bothered to do this task for me. So go ahead and take them both." The last part was said with a grateful smile on his face.

"I… I see…" Tyrion said slowly, and looked gratefully at the pelt skinner and said. "Thank you, Eagan… but are you sure you are alright with this? I mean, shouldn't you give one of these two to someone else, or at least keep them for someone else? Who knows another person like me who is willing to do this quest for you is come by soon? You wouldn't want them to leave empty handed now, do you?"

Eagan just smiled and shook his head and said. "You don't need to worry about that, young Tyrion… I have several more pairs of those items that I gave you, and I am always able to make more once I ask the priests in this town to bless and purify these pelts. Now go… I can think that either the Marshal or the good Deputy would need your assistance once more, so you shouldn't stay too long here."

Tyrion nodded firmly and said. "Very well then, you have my thanks then." He soon removed his old shoes, and put on the new pair of shoes, which was quite comfortable, not to mention that the bracers were quite comfy around his wrists.

He then bowed his head gently in thanks in Eagan's direction before he turned and walked in the direction of the Abbey to seek out Deputy Willem and Marshal Mcbride once more to enquire about any more tasks that he can perform for the town, not to mention that he wanted to pay Brother Sammuel once more, to ask if he is able to learn some more new skills.

Eagan watched the young paladin's retreating back and smiled to himself. _So, that is Edgar's boy, eh? He's almost like his father when he was that age. I can see that this one bears watching, as I can feel that he is one decent lad… and maybe is able to achieve great things in the future. I'll probably send a letter to my sister in Goldshire, just in case his path to Stormwind leads there._

He then made a mental note to get most of the diseased wolf pets to be purified so he could use them to make more bracers and shoes, leaving one for evidence to take to Stormwind if he had the chance to get it examined to find out what kind of disease that the wolves are suffering from. Or maybe he could ask the Marshal to request that someone would come and collect the pelt to Stormwind for further study, to save him some time from doing it himself.

Reminding himself to do that later, he then started to write a letter to his younger sister Helene in Goldshire, telling her about Tyrion and how he had been a good help to him, and to make sure that he is well taken care of, if he manages to pass by Goldshire one day.

He soon put the letter into an envelope, and sealed it wax, and assed a Stormwind Courier that passed by to deliver it to his sister in Goldshire, before he turned his attention back to the diseased wolf pelts that Tyrion had collected. There is a lot of work to be done, and there is little time to waste, as he put on a pair of old leather gloves, and asked a Stormwind Guard that happened to pass by to ask one of the priests from the Abbey to come.

The Guard nodded as he started walking towards the Abbey and Eagan waited patiently for the guard to return with the priest alongside him.

End of Chapter 1

Please Read and Review

Author's Note: Whew… this is my first chapter of my World of Warcraft fanfic which I am inspired to write again under the influence… or should I say the inspiration of Freedom Guard. The one thing I want to ask is, should I write this story in the assumption that the game has already used the Wrath of the Lich King Expansion or even Cataclysm, or should I use the original WoW game as a guide? If it is the former, which would mean that there, would be the Draenei and the Sin'dorei present. Any views on this? Please put your remarks and opinions in the reviews. Thanks.


	3. Northshire Valley Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own World of Warcraft. It belongs to the great team at Blizzard, who year after year, produces great games. Thanks you guys.

Chapter 2

Tyrion nodded politely to Deputy Willem as he walked past him, stopping only for a moment to listen to the Deputy telling him that he had something new for Tyrion to perform for the community, which he agreed to speak with him later after he had spoken to Marshal Mcbride in the Abbey as well as Brother Sammuel.

Once he entered the Abbey, he soon met Marshal Mcbride who greeted him warmly. "Ahhh Tyrion m'boy, it seems that you are slowly building a reputation for yourself recently in Northshire… Eagan just sent somebody to fetch a priest to bless and purify those diseased wolf pelts that you collected from him. He also asked that one of the wolf pelts is to be delivered to Stormwind to be examined by the people there to determine what kind of disease has been affecting those wolves in the forest."

"I see…." Tyrion said thoughtfully as he gazed at the Marshal's direction and said reather curtly. "Do you wish for me to deliver the remaining diseased pelt to Stormwind, Marshal?"

The Marshal chuckled and shook his head. "A tempting offer, m'boy… but I am afraid not. I have already asked one of my trusted couriers and priests to deliver them to Stormwind once they have acquired the package from Eagan… but thank you for offering your services in this matter. Besides, I have other tasks for you to complete here in Northshire still, so I am afraid I am not able to let you go just yet."

Tyrion nodded and said a bit thoughtfully. "I see… well, I really hope to see that those wolves are alright though. The sickness that they are suffering from doesn't seem too natural to me, but I could be wrong. Then again, Eagan has spent more time in observing those wolves than me so I do believe he is more knowledgeable than me in this matter, I am afraid."

He then paused for a moment before he shook his head and said sheepishly. "But I think I am straying off the main point of our meeting here… what were the tasks that you intend for me to perform, Marshal?"

The Marshal smiled and shook his head. "It is alright m'boy… it is good enough that you are so concerned about the well being of the creatures that live in the forest…" He said, and paused for a moment. "I think your attitude will be quite well received amongst the Night Elves, or even the Tauren, should you happen to wander into their lands, or meet them in person. It is no secret that those two races have somewhat similar views in terms of the natural world, and in fact the Tauren have somewhat of a cordial relationship with the Night Elves, even they belong to opposite sides."

Tyrion was slightly bemused by the Marshal's comments, though he did not make any comments just yet. It was common knowledge that the Night Elves revere nature, but he was slightly surprised that a member race of the Horde, the Tauren was somewhat similar in terms of their reverence towards nature. This piqued his interest, and while he was still distrustful of the Horde in general, this latest revelation caused him to have second thoughts about the Horde, at least about Taurens.

He then listened as the Marshal spoke again. "Well, m'boy… the latest task that I need you to do has something to do with those kobolds that I had you dispatch earlier. Earlier, I have dispatched some scouts to determine the true number of the kobolds that have been turning up lately, and the reports they gave to me were quite surprising to say the least."

Tyrion just quirked an eyebrow upward and asked. "Oh? And what does the report say, Marshal?"

Marshal Mcbride looked thoughtful as he replied to Tyrion's question. "Well, you see Tyrion…. Apparently the kobold infestation that is encroaching on Northshire is larger than we originally thought. In fact, my scouts reported to me that there is a small encampment of Kobold Workers that have taken up residence in front of the Echo Ridge Mine to the north. What I want you to do is go to the encampment and slay about ten of those kobolds, and scout out the mines for me for some time, and report back to me with your findings."

Tyrion nodded and said. "Alright, Marshal… but first I have to sell off some of the junk that I retrieved along the way, not to mention that I have to return some things to Eagan as well. I will return soon with the news of the kobold presence in the mines."

He then turned and left the Marshal and went towards the small market encampment that had many stalls selling various stuff that adventurers needed for their journey. He soon approached Brother Danil who was manning one of the many wagons that was on the edge of town.

He then said warmly. "Greetings, Brother Danil… how are you today?"

Brother Danil, who had grey hair, and slightly balding smiled and said. "Ahh, Tyrion… I have been fine, thank the Light. What brings you to my humble wagon today? Are you looking for some supplies for your own journey? I heard from Eagan that you have helped him with that problem of his, and that you are helping out with the community before going to Stormwind."

Tyrion smiled to himself at the Brother's words. Apparently, Eagan had discreetly mentioned his deeds to some of the townsfolk. It was good that he was building his own reputation in town, and while part of him enjoyed it, he reminded himself not too get too prideful, lest he fall into Darkness like one former Prince of Lordearon, Arthas Menethil.

He then nodded and said. "Yes I have, Brother… though I have some supplies picked from the kobolds that I dispatched earlier while completing the task that Marshal Mcbride gave to me. Actually, I wanted to get rid of these… and sell them to you."

He then withdrew the melted kobold candles as well as the chipped claws and broken fangs that he retrieved earlier and Brother Danil looked them over, before saying. "Well I suppose I can give you some coppers from them… these candles I probably could melt them down and make myself some new candles. And as for these chipped claws and broken fangs… I think you are better off selling these to goblins… I'll do that for you. Some of those more primitive members of the Horde still make some jewelry out of these." He then counted out around fifteen copper pieces, as well as two loaves of bread and gave them to Tyrion.

Tyrion looked slightly confused as to why Brother Danil had given him the two loaves of bread and he said. "It's my way of saying thanks for your efforts to help this community, Tyrion, and the two loaves of bread are a surplus from the baker's that arrived today, so take them. They are free of charge."

Tyrion nodded and thanked Brother Danil before he pocketed the copper coins, putting them into his money pouch and the bread into his storage space, and started to head north, when he was stopped by Deputy Willem. "Tyrion, could you hold on for a while? I know that the Marshal has given you a task to scout out the Echo Ridge Mine for him, but I have something that needs to be done as well."

He nodded and then said. "Sure thing, Deputy… what do you want me to do for you?"

"Well…" The deputy began as his expression turned grim. "I am sure you have heard that a group of unsavory characters wearing red scarves and bandanas covering their noses and mouth are spotted in the area, correct?"

Tyrion nodded and said. "Of course I have… my father mentioned this to me quite recently in fact, around two days before I went on this journey of mine. What does this have to do with the thing you want to speak to me?"

Deputy Willem nodded and said grimly. "I see… then it makes my job easier then. Those unsavory characters your father spoke to you call themselves the Defias Brotherhood, even though they have female members in their midst.

They are currently seen across the river to the east… actually close to where the vineyards where Milly Osworth plants her grapes."

He then paused for a moment before he continued. "Since you have shown to me that you are not afraid to get your hands dirty, and you have proven yourself to be a dependable person thus far, I want you to go and help Milly. She is a good friend of mine, and could use your help in whatever problems that ails her. To find her, you can go to the side of the abbey, and you can find her near her wagon, and tell her I sent you."

Deputy Willem paused once again, before he said. "Now that I have taken care of that, it's on to more official business… I want you to take care of eight of those red masked characters and retrieve their bandanas for me. This would be a slightly more difficult task for you to do, since it involves in killing fellow human beings, but know this… whatever it is that they are up to here, it definitely isn't good, so have no compulsions about taking care of them permanently. Do that for me, and I probably can requisition a weapon from the local armory for you, so please report back to me once you have completed your task."

Tyrion nodded and said curtly. "Alright, Deputy… I will." He then steeled himself as he walked towards the other side of the abbey, and true enough by the side of her wagon was Milly Osworth herself. She wore a purple shirt with blue overalls, blue pants and a pair of leather boots, and her short black hair was neatly combed. He then approached and asked. "Excuse me, ma'am… Deputy Willem asked me here to help you. Is there anything I can be of service? My name is Tyrion Silvermoon, pleased to meet you."

Milly looked at the young Paladin that her old friend sent to help her. He was fairly good looking, and was polite enough, which adds to his charm. If she wasn't at least ten years older than him, and is married to her work, she would have found him attractive. But she smiled softly and nodded. "Ahh, so the Deputy told you to speak to me, Tyrion? It is good that he did, because his duty at Northshire Abbey really takes up a big portion of his time, even though he is a brave man and always eager to lend a helping hand to whomever needs it."

She then paused for a moment, and said wearily. "But I suppose I have to tell you the root of the matter, to save some time." She then pointed to her vineyards and the group of red masked men and women, which incidentally were the ones that he had to dispatch for Deputy Willem. "I was harvesting the grapes in the vineyard just recently, and then suddenly these brigands whom call themselves the Defias have come and taken over the vineyard! I have reported this matter to the guards here in Northshire, and they assured me that they will take care of it."

She then sighed and said, looking at him with a weary expression on her face. "To be honest with you, Tyrion, I am more concerned about my harvest… I am afraid that the Defias might steal them, or worse they get trampled on when the guards decide to chase the Defias off my vineyards. My harvest is in some buckets that is in the vineyards, and I want you to collect them for me, and save them from those thieves! Can you do that for me?"

Tyrion smiled reassuringly at her and said. "Consider it done, Miss Osworth.. I have some business that the Deputy has asked me to regarding those thieves as well, so I think I can finish both tasks at the same time. I will return soon with your harvest." He then nodded his head gently to her, before he started off towards the vineyards.

He then drew his sword and started to make his way across the bridge when he met the first members of the Defias that he was supposed to kill. It was a man, accompanied with a woman behind him.

He then heard the man sneer at him. "Well, well, what do we have here… another do-gooder sent by the Stormwind Army… are you sure you are ready to take on the Defias boy? Turn around and leave… this Vineyard belongs to us now, got that?"

Tyrion snorted and said in disdain. "You are the ones that are supposed to leave, villains… surrender yourself to the guards, and they might just be merciful towards you."

"Surrender? Hah! What a joke…. Lana… this is your first test, kill this young upstart to prove your loyalty to the Brotherhood… if not, you know what is going to happen, don't you?" The man said with a sneer, and roughly shoved the young woman in front, whom shakily faced Tyrion.

"F... forgive me… I hope you don't blame me for this…" The young woman dressed in Defias garb said as she suddenly lunged at Tyrion, and he sidestepped, but hissed as her dagger managed to nick him on the right side of his arm, before he used his blade to parry her wild attacks.

As he did so, he studied her, and found that she swung and thrust wildly, without coordination, and her eyes… her eyes were full of worry, regret and fear, as well as unshed tears for some reason. Deciding that she would be better alive then dead, he made a slight feint, and when she tried to stab him, he sidestepped and delivered a hard knock to the back of her head, knocking her unconscious, and then faced her companion who scowled at him.

"Feh… useless bitch… I suppose that comes with being the daughter of a country bumpkin. Since she failed… I have just to kill you, and take her back with me now. She'll become a great plaything for Garrick and the boys when he is done with her." He said lewdly, an evil grin was evident on his face.

Tyrion, being brought up to respect women growled at the man's intentions, and a cold fury slowly burned in him. Without a word and warning, he soon strode forward, taking the man by surprise, and impaled his sword through the man's guts, before pulling it out, killing the man instantly. He then scowled at the man's cooling body and then readied himself as some Defias Thugs, attracted by the commotion closed in on his position.

Steeling himself as he faced the group of thieves, he found himself accompanied by two Stormwind Guards that happened to patrol the area. Feeling confident now that the odds were slightly evened out, he soon charged at the group, flanked by the guards.

The Guards with their heavier armor was more than a match for the Defias Thugs, despite their numbers, and Tyrion invoked his Aura of Devotion to strengthen the defenses of the group, before charging into the fray himself. He first assisted a Guardsman that was attacked by two male Defias Thugs, distracting one of them away and crossed blades with him, and then made another feint, which caused the thug to reveal an opening as he sidestepped, and was soon killed with a precise stab through the guts once again.

He then withdrew his blade, and sidestepped just in time to avoid the dagger that was intended to stab him on the side by a female Defias Thug, since he saw her charging against him as he withdrew his blade from her fallen comrade. He then crossed blades with her, and unlike the female Thug that he knocked unconscious earlier, her eyes were full of malice and hardness, and he wondered what happened to this young woman to join the Brotherhood. But one thing he does know is that this woman was a rather experienced hand, since her moves as she slashed and parried against his sword with her dagger were well orchestrated. This led him to the conclusion that he was facing a woman who willingly joined up with the Defias, and therefore showed no mercy as he made another feint, and killed her swiftly with another sword thrust through her guts.

Once he was done, he assisted the guards again, and soon ten or so Defias Thugs lay dead near the vineyard, and he searched their bodies, and relieved them of the burlap bandanas that the Deputy had him bring, as well as searching their packs for anything useful. He found as usual, the pouches containing the Spring Waters, which he stored inside his storage plane and to his surprise some hunks of bleu cheese that didn't smell. Wondering what kind of bleu cheese this is, he stored it for a moment to ask any of the vendors, or even Milly later if she has the time. He also looked at some of their gear, and they looked salvageable, though he thought they were not of good quality. Shrugging as he removed their gear, he stored them inside his storage space before he advanced forward towards the buckets of grapes that Milly had mentioned to him.

By this time, the two guards had already taken up position nearby and assisted him in fending off any Defias Thug that got too close as he retrieved Milly's harvest for her. He thanked the Guards when he was finished, and they accompanied him back to the other side of the river, where he gently cradled the young Defias woman that was unconscious in his arms and walked towards the direction of his home.

Edgar Silvermane was surprised, though a little annoyed why his son had returned with an unconscious young woman garbed in the dress of the Defias Brotherhood, and he was about to question his son's judgment, before Tyrion said in a curt manner. "Wait Father… I will explain everything once I have safely tucked in my bed. Then we can talk about this."

The retired paladin looked thoughtful for a moment, before nodding and said a little gruffly. "Alright my son… but I expect a good explanation for you bringing a member of that band of thieves unconscious into our home."

Tyrion nodded and simply said. "I will." He then carried the young woman into his room, and set her onto his bed, before removing the bandana that covered her mouth and nose, and smiled. She was a moderately pretty young woman, with fine features for a country girl, and she had long wavy brown hair that pooled around her shoulders. He could remember that her eyes was soft blue in color, and he had no doubt that she was quite a looker, judging by her figure, which made whatever lewd comments that those Defias Thugs made some sense.

Shaking his head slightly to that bad memory before he killed the Defias Thug that accompanied this young woman called Lana, he soon went to the living room and met up with his father, whom had an expectant look on his face. He then said calmly, though there was a slightly annoyed tone in his voice. "Sit down my son, and explain."

Tyrion nodded and sat opposite his father, before he started explaining from the top, about what tasks that he had done so far, as to why he brought the young Defias woman home. He then said. "You see Father… I think something is wrong with this young woman… call it a gut feeling, but I think she must be a raw recruit for the Brotherhood… and I don't mean the voluntary kind either." He then related about what he had heard from the first Defias Thug that accompanied Lana to his father.

Edgar looked thoughtful for a moment and then said. "I see… well, I suppose you are correct in knocking her out, my boy… and if what you say is true, she wasn't in the Brotherhood out of her own will, but she was forced to join for some reason. And it is a good decision to bring her here as well… Both Mcbride and Willem might sympathize with her if we knew how she was forced to join, but orders are orders, and she will be thrown to prison regardless of whether she joined voluntarily or not."

He then smiled wryly and said. "Thankfully, Mcbride is a good friend of mine, and I'll probably be able to talk him into 'ignoring' this little incident, not to mention that she would be better off waking up in a home rather than a military compound, or worse in prison. Return here once you have finished your current tasks… she would benefit from a familiar face when she wakes up. In fact, I think I had better go and talk to the man now, and Willem so that they will take no action against the girl, at least until both of us hear her side of story."

Tyrion nodded and said. "I will father… see you at home then. I will return as soon as I can." He soon exited his home and made his way back to Milly Osworth who looked happy to see him back.

"Ahh, Tyrion, it is good to see you back here… did you manage to get my harvest?" She asked with an expectant look on her face.

Tyrion just smiled and nodded as he took out the buckets of grape from his storage space and set them in front of Milly, who smiled gratefully to him in return.

"Thank you for your help, Tyrion." She said warmly to him. "You saved my harvest, and hopefully you managed to teach those Defias that they can't start up trouble here and get away with it. We might not have many guards around here, but I think with people like you around, we would feel safer around here."

Tyrion then smiled sadly and said. "Thanks for the show of support, Miss Osworth… but you do know that I still have to travel outside of Northshire one day right, once I have finished the tasks that I can do here?"

Milly nodded, since she knew what Tyrion said was true. "I suppose so… by the way, what's wrong with you Tyrion? Your smile isn't like the first time I met you… did something happen?"

Tyrion nodded and then she gently took him to the side and said. "Do you mind if you tell me? Since you helped me with my harvest, I suppose I can do something for you as well."

He then sighed and then told Milly a brief version about what happened earlier and she looked thoughtful for the moment and then she said. "I see… do you want me to go over to your place and accompany her when she wakes up? Though I suppose your father is right, about the part where she would be better waking up with a familiar face around."

Tyrion shook his head and said. "It's alright, Miss Osworth… thank you for the offer, but I think I had better follow my father's advice for now. Should I need your help, I will come and find you, alright?"

Milly nodded and said. "Alright then…" She was about to send him on his way, when she suddenly remembered something. "Oh yes, Tyrion… could you help me with one other thing, please?"

"Sure thing, Miss Osworth. What do you need my help with this time?" Tyrion said rather curiously.

Milly just smiled and walked away for the moment and then retrieved a roll of parchment with a seal and handed it to him. "This is a Manifest for the Grapes in the Vineyard, actually of the harvest that you have just saved, Tyrion. I want you to deliver this to Brother Neals, who is in charge of the storing of food and drink here in Northshire. You can find him in the bell tower inside the Abbey."

He then nodded and took the parchment in his hand, and stored it away before he bid her a good day, and walked his way back in the direction of the Abbey, returning the skinning knife to Eagan when he passed the man by, before meeting Deputy Willem who was apparently waiting for him.

"Tyrion… it seems that you have a situation on your hand here…. and I think the Marshal and I would like to talk to you about it along with your father, who is already inside the Abbey with the Marshal." The Deputy said a little grimly. "But first… did you have those bandanas I requested of you?"

"Of course Deputy… no doubt that you and the Marshal wanted to know why I brought that Defias girl back, but first… here are the bandanas you asked." Tyrion said just as grimly as he handed the ten red bandanas over to the Deputy who nodded and said. "Good job… now follow me, I'll get you a new sword, as well as take you to see the Marshal."

Tyrion nodded and followed Deputy Willem, and he was handed a short sword that had the Stormwind lion's crest on its pommel, before the two of them entered the Abbey and met Marshal Mcbride who was conversing with his father.

The Marshal looked to the side and nodded grimly to Deputy Willem and then to Tyrion. "Hello again, m'boy… Edgar just told me something interesting… like the fact you knocked out a Defias member and carried her to your home. Care to explain why you did that? I have heard the gist of why you did it from Edgar, but I would prefer to hear it directly from you."

Tyrion sighed and nodded before he told the same story that he had told his father earlier. At the end of it, both Marshal Mcbride and Deputy Willem looked at each other, before the Marshal said, turning to his deputy. "Willem… now that Tyrion has mentioned it, didn't a girl matching this Lana's description was declared missing from that ruined farmstead near Goldshire?"

Deputy Willem looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding and said. "Aye, Marshal. A week ago, Marshal Dughan sent a missive to us saying that there is some Defias activity near Goldshire, though no major activities were detected there. The only casualties that they discovered were a middle aged couple at a small farmstead there, and their daughter reportedly missing after what seemed to be a Defias raid on the compound. If it is true, then the girl named Lana is indeed the girl that is supposedly to be missing, and she is an orphan now, as well."

Both Tyrion and Edgar looked at each other, and then Edgar turned to his old friend and asked. "Assuming that the identity of the girl is as you say, Mcbride… what do we do about it?"

"Well, it depends on what she says when she wakes up, actually." Marshal Mcbride said calmly. "If it is true that she is Lana, and she is forcibly taken and coerced into joining the Brotherhood, we might be able to turn a blind eye to her past status and let her go free. And depending on how things play out, it is safe to say that you might find yourself with a daughter, Edgar."

Edgar looked at his old friend for some time, digesting the words that his old friend had just said, and thought for a moment before saying. "So, basically… if what you are trying to say to me is true old friend… is that you are asking me to adopt the girl, correct?"

The Marshal nodded and said. "Correct Edgar… that is what I intend for you to do… unless of course, Tyrion has any objections of gaining a new sister." He then looked at Tyrion who shook his head.

"Personally, I don't have any problems gaining a new sibling, Marshal… but like you said, it is Father's decision. All I can say that a home where she can belong to would be good for her… if what I heard just now was true." He said firmly, looking at his father. "Besides, I can tell that she isn't a bad person… her eyes told me that much when we fought earlier. She is alone in the world and afraid for her life and body, and the things that the Defias and this… Garrick Padfoot would do to her, I heard."

"Garrick Padfoot eh?" Deputy Willem suddenly said. "Now isn't that interesting, I was wondering when I should tell you about him, Tyrion. After all, it concerns the next task that I wanted you to do for me."

"Oh? And what would that be, Deputy?" Tyrion asked, with a bit of eagerness in his voice. Ever since he heard about what this Garrick Padfoot was planning to do to Lana… or at least vaguely, he had found himself developing somewhat of a protective stance towards the young woman, even though he barely knew her at all. Not one of passion and love though, but more of compassion, as well as a bit of a brotherly feeling towards the young woman.

That is why he had said he did not mind having her as a sibling, since he could tell somehow, that they were both going to get along just fine somehow, and he really hoped that his father would come to the same conclusion as he did, after listening to Lana's story when she wakes up.

"Garrick Padfoot, for your information Tyrion is a cutthroat that has been plaguing our farmers and merchants for some time now. It is said that he is the de facto leader of the Defias in Northshire… and he is last seen in a shack near the vineyards, just across the bridge where you helped Milly Osworth. What I want you to do is to kill the brigand and bring me his head to earn his bounty." Deputy Willem said grimly, pausing a moment before he continued to speak. "But I must caution you, Tyrion… he is sure to have a gang of thugs to defend him, so I doubt that he would be an easy man to reach and kill."

Tyrion nodded and said thoughtfully. "Indeed… I was lucky that a patrol of guards had arrived when I was on the task that you gave me earlier, if not I might be in trouble despite my abilities. I assume that you have some backup ready for me for this task, Deputy?"

The Deputy just smirked and nodded. "Indeed, Tyrion… just recently a warrior and a mage who had finished the tasks that Marshal Mcbride and I gave earlier have also was given the same task. In fact, they say they are friends of yours, I believe."

This information made Tyrion quirk his eyebrow upwards, but he said nothing. "I see, well I'll go meet them once I finished this one last task that Milly Osworth gave me." He then turned to his father and said. "Father, I will meet you at home once I have completed the tasks the Marshal and the good Deputy has for me."

Edgar nodded and said. "I understand, my son. May the Light be with you." He then turned and left, and Tyrion bid the Marshal and the Deputy a good day, before proceeding to the bell tower to give the Grape Manifest to Brother Neals, who greeted him warmly, and invited him for a drink, which he declined politely.

The man looked disappointed for a while, but then thanked Tyrion for delivering it to him, and he spoke a word of blessing for Tyrion, which he thanked for his generosity, before he made his way towards the entrance of the Abbey, wanting to find out for himself who these people that claimed themselves as his friends really are.

End of Chapter 2

Author's Note: Whew… this is the second part of the Northshire Valley quests… a bit for me to write, but I promise you that I will end the Northshire Arc next chapter. Also, I have introduced to you guys Lana, a Defias Thug that actually someone that is forced to join the Brotherhood… you will learn more about her story in the next chapter. Also, she is NOT going to be Tyrion's love interest but his adopted sister, and I am not thinking of pairings for the moment, actually. And two new characters show up, who claims themselves as Tyrion's friends… who are they? Stay tuned to find out…. Please read and review this, k guys? I really need to know how I am doing in this fic of mine.


	4. Northshire Valley Final Part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own World of Warcraft. It belongs to the great team at Blizzard, who year after year, produces great games. Thanks you guys.

Chapter 3

As Tyrion stepped out of the Abbey he grinned at the two people who stood there. One was a man dressed in padded leather clothing, with leather boots and bracers, and shoulder guards. He also had a simple short sword in his hand, and he was slightly more muscular than Tyrion. His sandy blond hair was a messy mop on his head, and his light green eyes twinkled mischievously at him.

The other person was a young woman dressed in a light blue blouse and long skirt combination, and she held a long staff on her hand. She had a modest figure, and her chestnut brown hair flowed to the back of her neck, just above her shoulders. She had a gentle smile on her face, as she stood close to the blond haired man, and her light blue eyes just sparkled gently at him. These two were indeed his childhood friends, Gideon Eckhart and Lynette Telfair.

Tyrion soon strode forward and grinned at them. "Gideon, Lynette… good to see you guys here. So, it seems that you two also decided to go and see the world, eh?" He then looked slyly at them, and his voice had a slight teasing note to it. "And it seems that you two look pretty close as well… I always thought you two were pretty close since we were kids. So… when's the wedding?"

He then grinned as Lynette bopped him playfully on his head with her staff, as she sputtered. "And you don't change, do you Tyrion? I swear, any girl that manages to be with you really has to have a lot of heart and patience to tolerate your idiosyncrasies." She said with a slight flush on her cheeks.

Tyrion just grinned unrepentantly and said. "And you don't change either, Lynn… still the same old tomboy as ever… I had always thought you would make a better warrior then a mage with your semi-violent tenden… Owww!" He then winced as Lynette bopped him again, slightly harder on his head.

"Now, now, Lynn…" Gideon said with a grin, as he slipped his arm around Lynette's waist, letting her lean against him, with a light flush on her cheeks at being so close to her boyfriend. "Tyr didn't mean anything by that… he's just jealous that we two got together and he's still all alone. Isn't that right buddy?"

Tyrion snorted slightly and said. "Yeah, right… jealous, me? Of you two? That'll be the day…" He then smiled at them, and said. "But seriously…. I think it is wonderful that you two got together. Like I said earlier, you two were already quite inseparable when you were kids, so I am not really surprised that you ended up together."

Lynette just blushed slightly and said nothing, while Gideon just grinned and said. "Thanks you my friend… both of us really appreciate that. But I think we are getting off the topic here… so, what did the Marshal give you as a mission, Tyrion?"

"The Marshal actually gave me to clear out those kobold workers near Echo Ridge Mine and scout out the place… though I am going for Deputy Willem's mission right now, which is to take care of one leader of the Defias Brotherhood here called Garrick Padfoot." Tyrion said a bit heatedly at the last part, which made both Gideon and Lynette feel strange. In their experience, Tyrion was always a happy go lucky kind of guy, and sometimes like to goof off, and this was the first time that they had seen their friend rather upset.

Gideon was the first one to speak and said. "I see… I suppose getting rid of the local band of thugs could help the Stormwind Army breathe a little easier, but seriously my friend… what's wrong with you? Would you care to talk about it? I have never seen you get this worked up over a person, and neither does Lynette."

Tyrion glanced at Lynette's worried look, as well as Gideon, who had a similar look on his face and sighed slightly, before he told them about him facing Lana in battle, to knocking her out, and then the words that the thug accompanying her said to him, as well as the conversation that he, his father, as well as Marshal Mcbride and Deputy Willem had earlier. "So you see why I am so upset at that outlaw right now…" He concluded as he watched his friends for their reactions.

Both Gideon and Lynette fell silent for a moment, before Gideon spoke with barely restrained fury in his voice, his facial expression grim and ominous. "I see… so that's why you are so worked up. To be honest, I don't really blame you for feeling that way, buddy. You already see her as a victim, not to mention if everything goes well, she will be a sister to you. It's natural for you to feel protective over her, and want to tan that Garrick's hide for even thinking of doing vile acts against her."

Lynette had a similar, but her expression was quite… scary for someone that looks quite gentle and calm. She had a frown on her face; something that both Gideon and Tyrion knew wasn't a good thing. Coupled with the fact that she was gripping her staff rather hard, both her friends knew that she was feeling quite pissed off at one Garrick Padfoot after hearing Tyrion's story. She then said with a sweet voice, but both men knew that it was dripping venom and frost, which made them wince a little. "I see… then we should do our best to pay Mr. Padfoot back for his intentions now… right?"

Both men nodded rather dumbly and silently prayed a prayer of mercy for one Garrick Padfoot, who had earned Lynette's ire. They knew that she was normally a sweet young woman, although slightly tomboyish at times… but when she is pissed off… Light have mercy on the person that becomes the target of her ire… for she usually has none.

Tyrion then said. "Then it is agreed then, we go after him right now. So, how about the loot that we are going to get once we completed the bounty? Any ideas?"

Gideon looked thoughtful for a moment before he said. "Well, it really depends on the things being offered for the bounty, Tyrion. If it is money, we can split it evenly between the three of us. If it is pieces of equipment, we'll have to see if any of us can use those equipment before we decide on what to do with them. Are we agreed on this?"

Both Tyrion and Lynette thought deeply about it, and nodded in unison. Tyrion then said. "That sounds fair… since we won't know what kind of loot we might get off that scoundrel's body, apart from his head, which we have to retrieve for the bounty that was marked against him."

Lynette and Gideon nodded at their friend's words, and Gideon looked at both of them and said. "Then it is decided then, let us go and take care of that scum before he knows what hit him."

His two friends nodded, and then Tyrion added. "But I think before we go, we should make some preparations first… we should fortify each other first, before we go and rush that hideout. It always pays to be prepared; I believe to prevent us from getting ourselves caught off guard."

He then activated his Aura of Devotion once again, and the same blue glow enveloped Gideon and Lynette, the latter smiling at him as a show of thanks as she placed a spell of Arcane Intellect on him, making him smarter for a moment, before the three of them headed for the direction of the vineyards again, since Tyrion mentioned to them along the way, that he had spotted the shack that the deputy mentioned across the river at the far side of the vineyard.

Their journey towards the shack was largely unmolested, since some of the Defias Thugs that they encountered seemed to be rather skittish of them, since they saw how Tyrion, with the help of some guards managed to kill a fair number of them. Tyrion noticed this, and made a conclusion, like Lana, these must be new recruits that were sent here as their initiation to the Brotherhood, before being sent to other regions.

He relayed this information to both Gideon and Lynette, who understood what their friend wanted and the three of them started to attack the thugs, which numbered around ten or so, knocking them out, and leaving them for the guards to bring them to custody.

They soon arrived in front of the hut, where five thugs stood menacingly in front of them in a protective stance, behind them was a man that had long blond hair that was parted in the middle, which fell to his shoulders. He wore red colored leather armor, and his eyes glinted with malice, and Tyrion could imagine a cruel smirk behind the scarf that covered his nose and mouth.

Tyrion glared at the man with distaste, and he said curtly, a bit of anger seeping into his voice as he recalled what this man would have done to his potential adopted sister, if he had not taken her away first. "Are you Garrick Padfoot, by any chance?"

"Aye, stranger…. That I am… I have heard how you took Lana away to town… and it displeases me. That failure was to be my comfort woman… and you will pay for depriving me and my boys here of some well needed entertainment…" Garrick said maliciously. His eyes then looked at Lynette lecherously, and said with a lusty tone. "Though I think I can let that pass… as long you surrender that pretty bird of a mage you got there as compensation. She will take Lana's place as my plaything… hehehehe…"

Gideon's jaw clenched as Garrick said those words, and even Tyrion was feeling even more upset from this latest turn of events. Even Lynette gripped her staff hard, her eyes smoldering with anger at being undressed so openly in the man's mind. Without saying a word, the three friends nodded to each other wordlessly, as they suddenly sprung into action.

Gideon then led out a war cry, strengthening his companion's resolve as Lynette cast an invisible armor of cold around her, before concentrating. A ball of fire soon gathered at the tip of her staff, and she launched them towards one of the thugs, badly burning the man due to the added effect of her fury, and Tyrion soon stabbed the man with his sword, killing him instantly, while Gideon joined the fray, taking up a stance before striking any Thug that got close hard, killing them quickly in a series of fury powered slashes, his mind caught almost in a berserker rage at the thought of anyone laying their dirty hands on Lynette.

Tyrion assisted his friend, and between the three of them they soon made short work of the five thugs that guarded Garrick and soon turned their fury towards the man himself. Garrick Padfoot did not know what hit him, as he was powerless to resist the combined fury of an enraged warrior and paladin and warrior, not to mention he received heavy burns due to a fury powered fireball impacting against him. He soon let out a gurgle of pain as he felt twin blades pierce through his body, and the last thing he felt was a pain on his neck, as Tyrion swiftly decapitated him, his head rolling to the side, which Gideon soon wrapped it up in a cloth bundle.

It took some time for the battle rage to subside from them, and then Gideon said with a scowl. "Good riddance to bad rubbish… now, what say we do now, Tyrion? You want to collect the bounty on this… lowlife?"

Tyrion nodded and said. "I think so…. Afterwards, I need to go home and check whether Lana has woken up or not, and hear her story, before I go to the Abbey and see what I can do for those Defias Thugs."

Both Gideon and Lynette were confused by their friend's words, and Lynette asked for the both of them. "Um, Tyrion? Are you sure about that? These Defias are supposed to be criminals and thieves right? Shouldn't we leave them to be dealt with by the proper authorities?"

Tyrion nodded and said. "Under normal circumstances, I believe that is the correct thing to do, Lynn… but I do believe that some of those Defias that we knocked out are like Lana… either forced to join, or they don't have any choice but to fall to villainy. If so, I hope to find a solution for them instead of getting them thrown into prison, or worse, the gallows."

Gideon just smirked at his friend's remark. Even when he is a paladin, Tyrion will be the same old Tyrion. He rarely judges people, and is a rather forgiving person when others do something bad against him. He is a bit naïve at times, but he likes to see the good in people, unless those same people have shown to him that they are bad through and through. Only then will he take an appropriate action against them. He then said. "Whatever you say, my friend… now, let us turn in this bounty, before we go and proceed with the other things that you need to do."

Tyrion just nodded and they headed back to the Deputy, where he handed the bloody bundle to the man, who opened the bundle a little to verify the contents before he turned to the three and said with a smile. "Good job, the three of you… now that Garrick is gone, the Defias' hold on Northshire is broken, though I can't say the same for other parts of Elwynn, though I can safely say with the Defias gone from here, we can at least breathe a little easier and can devote our time to protecting the populace even more efficiently."

Tyrion nodded and said. "Glad that we can be of service, Deputy… but let me ask you a question, out of curiosity's sake. What do you intend to do with those Defias that the three of us knocked out earlier?"

Deputy Willem just shrugged and said. "Why of course, we detain them in Northshire for a moment before they are to be escorted to Stormwind for permanent detention in the prisons there, and then stand for trial. Is there something you wish to say, Tyrion?"

He nodded and said. "Indeed Deputy… this is just a feeling of mine, but I do believe that some of those Defias members that you have in custody might be of the same background as Lana. They are all new recruits, that is for sure, to be blooded here first, as far as I can tell, and some of them might be coerced as well to join the Defias, and not a voluntary decision that they made."

Deputy Willem looked thoughtful for a moment and then said. "I see… I'll have to clear this with the Marshal first though, this decision is too big for me to decide on my own. Oh, and wait here for a moment, while I retrieve the equipment that is supposed to be your reward for Garrick's bounty."

He then turned towards the Abbey and quickly entered to find the Marshal and convey to him about what Tyrion had just proposed to him. He soon returned with three items, which he handed to the three, who divided them equally according to their preference.

Marshal Mcbride who followed his deputy turned to Tyrion and said. "I have heard your proposal from my deputy, Tyrion… and I am rather intrigued with your theory. Why do you think that these Defias that we took into custody are as you say, coerced into joining the Defias? Personally I find it a bit hard to believe, but I will hear you out, since you told the Deputy that what transpired with these Defias might be similar to Lana's case."

Tyrion nodded and said. "Of course, Marshal…. The Defias, if I recall correctly are a band of outlaws that have banded up into an organization. It is likely that they also conduct raids against remote farmsteads and the kind, as well as recruit their members from those who are homeless or jobless due to the effects of the last war, if what my father say is correct. If my instincts are correct, it is likely that some, if not all of them belong to that category."

The Marshal looked thoughtful for a moment, before he said. "I see… then I suppose I could give this a try. Come with me, Tyrion… I'll take you to the holding area for the prisoners. Right this way." He then turned and gestured for him to leave, which Tyrion did so, but not before turning to his friends and said. "Gideon, Lynn? You two need not follow me on this… but I want you two to wait for me until I resolved this business, before we go together to the Echo Ridge mine to finish the task that our good Marshal has given us."

"Sure thing, Tyrion… c'mon Lynn… let's go and sell off some of the junk that we collected from our previous quests while Tyrion goes with the Marshal." Gideon spoke to his girlfriend, who nodded in agreement and went with him as they walked together in the direction of the cart vendors.

Meanwhile, Tyrion soon arrived at the holding area, and the Marshal gestured to them. "These I believe are the Defias that you three knocked out earlier. You may speak to them."

Tyrion nodded and approached the group of Defias thugs, and one of them spoke with a bit of caution. "Why have you come here, young paladin? Have you come to dispose of us, just to save those people from Stormwind the chance to do so?"

Tyrion looked thoughtful for a moment, but then gently shook his head. "No, I am not here to kill you. Rather, I would like to hear your stories, as to why you all joined the Brotherhood. And please, leave nothing out… so that the Marshal here can hear it as well. I am here not to force you to confess, but offer a way out for you. I don't know if you know her, but I managed to convince the Marshal and the Deputy to let Lana go…"

"LANA!" The surprised cry of the Defias present interrupted Tyrion, and he merely nodded, feeling confused by this sudden reaction and he nodded. "Yes, I am talking about Lana. She's actually resting at my house right now… and if her story is as the Marshal confirms… she is probably going to be my adopted sister before long. Why are you all so interested in Lana anyway?"

There were some looks of relief, and even some of joy from the Defias present, and a female Defias stepped forward and smiled warmly at him. "I see… so Lana is safe now, and probably is going to get into a good home. My name is Evelyn Sanders… thank you for that, young paladin. We can rest easy now, since you managed to save her at least. Even if we get hauled to Stormwind in the end, we can finally rest our minds now."

Tyrion looked thoughtful for a moment, and said. "Miss Evelyn, perhaps you can briefly tell me why you all feel that way. Is Lana someone special to all of you?"

Evelyn smiled gently and nodded. "Indeed she is young paladin. The ten of us here have somewhat similar backgrounds. Either we were forced to become pickpockets or thieves due to the events of the last war, or like Lana… we were forced to join the Defias after they raided our homesteads, which are scattered in rather remote areas around Goldshire. When she was first 'drafted' into the Defias, Garrick Padfoot immediately took an unhealthy attention towards her." She said the last part with some anger in her voice.

She paused for a moment, before she continued. "Thankfully, most of us here were able to deter him by protecting her as best as she could by keeping her occupied with training, but our efforts were thwarted when that scum… may his soul rot in hell for all I care… sent her on that 'orientation' mission where she met you. Her test of course, was to kill a member of the volunteer corps that the Stormwind Army sent, or else, she would be punished by becoming Garrick's plaything. The rest… I think you already know."

Tyrion listened closely to what Evelyn had to say quite closely and when she was finished, he looked into her eyes, and observed for a moment for any sign of deception there. Finding there is none; he then turned to the Marshal and said. "There you have it Marshal… that is their story; at least Evelyn has summed it up for us. So, what do we do about it?"

Marshal Mcbride nodded and said. "Indeed she has, young Tyrion… as to what I will do… I won't be able to let them totally go just yet, but what I can do for them right now is to release them but under probation and under guard. They are to prove to the community that they are no threat by working in the community for at least three months, and for those are able, join the volunteer militia to guard the settlement. Those are my terms for them to be released. My question is, will they accept it?"

Tyrion nodded and then turned to the Defias that were in custody, especially to Evelyn, which seems to be their spokeswoman and said. "There you have it… that is the decision of the Marshal… and like what the Marshal has said, will you accept his offer?"

Evelyn looked at her companions and they got together and discussed it for a bit, before turning back to Tyrion and had a curious look on her face. "The Marshal is most kind with his offer… and I suppose that you have something to do with it, young paladin. Before we decide whether or not we will accept, could you tell us why you made such a decision to speak in our behalf? Most people would never have done the same, if they were in the same position as you are."

Tyrion nodded and said. "I understand your concerns, Miss Evelyn… and frankly, I would too be wary of such an offer was made to me, if I were in your position right now. Nevertheless, like what I said earlier, which you all just confirmed to me… that you all either joined the Defias either out of circumstance, or forced to join, something that I feel that is similar to Lana. If it is the case, then it would be grossly unfair to send you all to Stormwind to be tried for such trivial crimes borne out of circumstance. That is why I spoke on your behalf… nothing more, nothing less."

There was a short silence following Tyrion's declaration, and there was immediately a warm smile on each of the captured Defias members' faces, including Evelyn, who had a grateful look on her face. "I see… thank you for defending us, young paladin… you are most generous, and I and my companions are indebted to you. You are indeed a good man, and I certainly feel relieved that it is you who are taking care of Lana." She then turned to Marshal Mcbride and said. "I speak for my companions when I say this, Marshal…. We accept your offer."

Marshal Mcbride nodded and said. "Very well then… I will release you all as soon as I finish collecting the relevant information about each and every one of you. In the mean time, you all shall be Tyrion's responsibility, since he was the one that vouched for you, after all. Tyrion, I will leave things here to you. I bid you a good day." He then turned to look for Deputy Willem to find out more about the members of the Defias that Tyrion had vouched for, and check if their stories are true.

Evelyn waited until the Marshal left and then smiled at Tyrion. "Thank you for this Tyrion… like I said, the ten of us here are indebted to you. We shall contribute to the community as best as we can, and earn our keep and trust here… as well as defend the town when we are needed. This is our vow to you." She said warmly to him, which was supported by a unanimous nod by the rest of the Defias members there.

Tyrion looked sheepish for a moment, and then said. "Well… it's nothing really. I just did what I think what is right, that's all. But I trust you all would not betray the faith that the Marshal and I have in all of you…" He then paused for a moment, and then looked at Evelyn for a moment before asking. "Miss Evelyn, forgive me if you consider my question to be strange, but I noticed that when you spoke of my future adopted sister, I noticed that there is some note of affection there. May I ask why it is so?"

Evelyn smiled at the young paladin and said gently. "Well, I personally consider Lana a younger sister of some sort, since she is a year younger than me. In fact, most of us here have become a little protective of her, since we learned that deceased scoundrel Garrick has some rather unhealthy designs for her."

Tyrion nodded and said in a relieved tone, a soft smile on his face. "I see… then I must entrust the safety of my future adopted sister into your hands then, Miss Evelyn… as well as all of you when I am not around. That is what I ask of you, as a brother… and hopefully as a friend to you all as well."

Evelyn just smiled in return, and said. "If that is all you ask, then I assure you we will do it, even if you do not ask it of us. After all, as I said earlier, we have gotten rather fond of Lana, and see to it that no harm comes to her person, just like we protected her from Garrick."

"I see… then I shall take my leave of you for the moment. I leave my sister and the town under your protection then." Tyrion said politely, bowing to her before he turned to leave to go to his home and find out whether his adopted sister has woken up or not. He certainly wanted to know what happened to her, though he did not want her to recall any bad memories if he could help it.

Unknown to him, Evelyn and the rest of the former Defias members were talking about him. Evelyn looked at her comrades and said. "So, what do you think of the young paladin just now?"

The other female of the group, Shaila Corville just smiled and said. "He seems like a gentleman to me… not to mention that he seems to care about Lana, which in my book is quite a good thing."

One of the male Defias also said. "He seems like a good kid… and he is certainly not tainted by the prejudice that most of the people in society has towards us. Otherwise, he wouldn't have stuck up for us.'

Another Defias member also piped in. "True that his reasoning at first was because that our circumstances were similar to Lana's… but like you said, he certainly doesn't have any prejudice towards us. The question is… what do we do to repay his faith in us, besides what he has asked us to do for him?"

Evelyn looked thoughtful for a moment and said. "Well… I have an idea, though it is just in my mind right now. I am sure you recall that you know of some famous organizations around the world right, like the Argent Dawn, the League of Arathor and the like."

The rest of the group nodded and the male that spoke earlier to Tyrion said. "Of course… but what are you getting at, Evelyn? Do you propose that we form a guild or some sort, or even an organization like those names you mentioned earlier?"

Evelyn nodded solemnly and said. "Yes we do…. We will call ourselves members of the Tyrion's Hand… dedicated to the man who has saved us, and given us a second chance to live our lives normally. Once we are released, we will start contributing to the community, and I believe any one of us who are still interested in fighting, I urge them to seek tutelage under some of the trainers here in Northshire Valley so that we can better serve the community in a more offensive fashion."

There was a unanimous nod amongst the former Defias members as they set their sights towards the future, to help the community of Northshire, as well as to repay the debt that their Guild Master has done for them.

Meanwhile, Tyrion soon returned home, and he had just stepped inside when his father greeted him warmly. "Ah there you are, my son. You arrived just in time… our guest has just woken up, and is looking for you."

Tyrion smiled in return to his father and said. "It is good that she has awakened… I will go see her right now. In the meantime, could you prepare some light refreshments for our guest, father? I imagine that she would be famished, and a warm meal and some friendly company would do well to soothe her nerves."

Edgar just chuckled at his son's remarks and said. "Alright, my son… I swear that I still can see your mother in you. You had always taken after her in more ways than one… especially her demeanor, though I do admit that you got your looks from me, as well as your burning passion for justice and your attitude towards the weak." He then turned and walked towards the kitchen, leaving Tyrion to reminisce a little.

Miria Silvermane was a Sorceress of Dalaran, one of the few human females that practiced the arts in Dalaran under the Kirin Tor back during the war ten years ago. She, along with his father, was one of those who survived the war, though the last time that he saw his mother was when he was five years old, since she was called back to Dalaran to help rebuild the Mage Order there, after the destruction that was wrought by one Arthas Menethil during the war.

She still comes by every now and then, and no doubt that his father had already written a letter to his mother by now to inform her of his progress. Maybe if he manages to pass by Dalaran, he will go and visit her, just to catch up. He then gently shook his head, as he made that promise to himself, and walked into Lana's room.

Lana sat on her bed, contemplating what has happened to her lately. She has lost her family due to a Defias raid, and was forced to join the Defias. There she attracted the attention of the local Defias leader, one Garrick Padfoot. He was a rather crafty and lewd man, and has made several unwanted advances on her, if not for the intervention of some of the Defias members that stood up for her. She idly wondered what happened to them. Were they killed, after she had been knocked out by that young paladin earlier? She hoped not, since to Lana… they had become something like a family to her, and she did not want anything bad to happen to them.

The sound of footsteps alerted her to someone approaching. She turned and saw a very familiar looking young man enter the room. He was the young paladin that had knocked her out earlier. When he had stopped in front of her, she asked timidly. "W.. where is this? Why have you brought me here? What do you want with me… please… let me go…"

Seeing that she was starting to panic, Tyrion smiled gently at her as he sat by her bed side, and said warmly. "You are in my home, Miss Lana…. And this is my room. I brought you here after I saved you from those Defias thugs… you are safe here, Do not worry… you are among friends."

When Tyrion mentioned the words 'friends', Lana winced for a moment, before she asked timidly. "E… excuse me, Sir? Co… could you tell me where my friends are? What happened to them, I mean."

Tyrion smiled and said. "I assume you are referring to Evelyn and the members of the Defias that defended you from Padfoot, am I correct?"

Lana nodded, and she had a slightly hopeful look on her face, and Tyrion smiled gently. "Do not worry, Miss Lana… they are alright, alive and well. I personally vouched for them, and the Marshal has agreed to let them go, in exchange for service to the community, after their identities has been confirmed. You may bump into some of them, once you are up and about."

Unshed tears of happiness welled up in Lana's eyes as she heard the good news that the young paladin had brought her. Her friends were alright, and he was the one who vouched for them to have them released. She suddenly lunged forward, and clinged onto him for dear life, sobbing away against his chest, uttering her thanks in between sobs, and Tyrion was taken aback for a moment, but then gently put his arms around, embracing her in a rather awkward, but gentle hug, and gently patted her back, sometimes stroking it to help her calm down.

It took some time for Lana to calm down, and Tyrion soon let her go. She then looked at him, and said softly. "Th… thank you… I really needed that." She then fell silent for a moment, and was about to say something when the smell of something delicious wafted into her nose, and her stomach rumbled slightly, which made Tyrion chuckle, as his father came into the room, carrying a bowl of warm beef stew with vegetables on a tray.

Edgar smiled at his soon to be daughter and said with a smile on his face. "Looks like someone's hungry now… just in time for Edgar Silvermane's special beef stew… I hope you like it, young lady. It's not much, but it is what we can offer at the moment."

Lana shook her head and said. "No… it's alright, Mr Silvermane. I am already grateful for the help and hospitality that you and your son have given me, not to mention for not turning me in to the Stormwind Guard. That alone is something to be thankful for."

Edgar just smiled as he heard Lana thank him. She must have been brought up in a loving home, and in a good family, if her mannerisms were of any indication. He then said with a warm smile. "Indeed, young lady... now why don't you eat up? You can fill your belly with some food first, before we talk further." He then handed the tray of food to Tyrion, who gently handed it over to Lana in turn.

Lana said a soft 'thank you' to Tyrion and Edgar, and started to eat, the aroma of the stew whetting her appetite. The stew was delicious, much like the ones that her mother used to make when she was still alive. That thought sent another stab of pain through her heart, and she fought back the urge to burst into tears again, at the awful memory of her parents being killed by the Defias.

She took her time to eat, savoring the flavor of the stew as she steeled herself for the questions that is sure to come. She needed all the nerves she could get to tell her story without breaking down once again. Once she was finished, she put down her spoon, and then said. "The stew... was delicious... Mr. Silvermane... thank you for your hospitality."

Tyrion then collected the tray from her, as she handed it to him, and set it to the side as he heard his father say. "It is no trouble, young lady... really. After all, you were someone that needed shelter and rest from the traumatic incidents in your past, and we both felt only right to offer you our hospitality."

Edgar paused for a moment, as his face turned slightly fatherly, though it held a bit of seriousness on it as well, and said. "Now young lady... I know this is a rather bad time for me to ask this of you... but could you tell us briefly what happened to you to end up in the Defias of all places? My son here has made a guess, judging from how you acted the first time you met him, that you did not join the Defias out of your own free will. Moreover, evidence supports that theory, since you fit the description of a young lady whose farmstead was destroyed in a raid by the Defias a week ago near Goldshire."

Lana's features were strained as she heard Edgar say those words. There were unshed tears that had started welling up in her eyes, as she nodded. "Y... yes, I am... Lana Callahan... the only survivor of the raid... that the Defias had made upon my home."

She then paused, her voice shaking, and Tyrion, seeing that she needed someone to support her, gently took her into his arms, and gently said to her. "It's alright if you can't speak of this for now, Lana... I can't imagine how traumatic it must have been for you, but I will respect your choice, if you prefer to speak of this on a later date, once you feel better."

At first, Lana went stiff as Tyrion took her in his arms, but his kind words and gentle demeanor, not to mention understanding behaviour made her slightly more at ease. She felt so comfortable in his arms, and it was as if his strength was flowing into hers, making her more relaxed. She had never been in this close contact with a young man roughly her own age, or even older, in Tyrion's case, but the feelings that were usually associated with being with someone you love wasn't really there. It was as if she was being in the company of an older brother, that will do whatever it takes to make sure that she was unharmed.

And Mr. Silvermane, with his posture, and mannerisms, as well as his facial expression and behaviour, reminded her of a slightly more dignified and mightier form of her own father. Being in the company of the two men now, made her feel safe... that they would do anything to keep her from being harmed.

That thought made her feel strong as she shook her head gently and said with a slightly more confident voice that she was used to speak. "It... it is alright... I can do this... thank you both for your support."

She paused yet again, and then started to tell her tale, on how she was the only daughter that the Callahans' had, and they were a small honest family of farmers that eked out their lives by tending to the land and livestock, ocassionally selling the produce of their farm to Goldshire.

Then one day, a Defias raiding party came, and made some demands to her parents, more specifically, her father. He refused of course, and what took place later, was the Defias killed her father, and then raped her mother, before killing her. She was only spared because the leader of the band, Garrick Padfoot seemed to take a shine for her, and forcefully conscripted her into the Brotherhood ranks, in the intentions of enjoying her for himself. Of course, that plan did not work out too well, since Evelyn and some of the Defias members, who were also quite new as well, became sympathetic to her plight and drew Padfoot's attention from her for quite some time.

They were successful, but only up to a certain point, where they were unable to do so for her any further, as she was sent out for her blooding initiation where she has to kill a member of Northshire Valley's volunteers... and her price for failure was to become Garrick's plaything. Thankfully, she was spared that fate, as she was knocked out and brought to safety by Tyrion, away from Padfoot's clutches.

Both Tyrion and Edgar fell silent after hearing to Lana's story, though they were burning up with fury inside at what they had just heard. The Defias were nothing but a bunch of scum, and while Tyrion knew that a minority of the Defias were like Evelyn and Lana, forced to join out of unforeseen circumstances or by force, the fact remains that the majority of their members were nothing but thieves and murderers who prey on the weak. That made him feel quite motivated to incapacitate or even kill any Defias member that crossed his path, but not before confirming their circumstances, of course.

They both took some time to calm theirselves down, before Edgar sat down on the bed, and looked at Lana with a fatherly expression on his face, before he said. "I see... I am sorry for your loss, Lana... but take heart that your parents are with the Light right now, and they are in a better place. Now... both Tyrion and I had some talk even before you woke up, and I had considered adopting you into our family... with your consent of course. We want to know what you thinlk of the idea."

Lana had a surprised look on her face, and she turned to Tyrion and asked softly, her body gently shaking as this revelation made her head spin just a little. "Is... is it true? That you were both thinking of accepting me into your family?"

Tyrion just chuckled, and nodded before saying. "Of course we do... I personally think that it would be fun to have a sister around... I am an only child you see... so, it would be nice to have a sibling to talk to, isn't it?"

Lana smiled softly, seeing Tyrion chuckling and speaking to her already like she was his sister... the thought made her warm inside, and she had to admit Tyrion was right in a way. She was also an only child, so her circumstance was something similar to Tyrion, and since she had never had a brother, she never knew what it is like to have one, though she did wonder sometimes what it would be like to have an older or younger brother. Now, the possibility was presented in front of her, and she wasted no time in nodding, and she said softly. "I... accept... brother, father."

The last part was said with some strain, since it reminded her of her own father, but she told herself that she has to be strong, and that her parents wouldn't have wanted to see her so depressed. She told herself that she will always carry the memory of her parents within her, till the day she passes on.

Both Edgar and Tyrion smiled in return and they said. "You are most welcome, daughter/sister." They then chuckled together when they realized that they had spoke at the same time, and even Lana managed a soft giggle at her new family's antics.

Tyrion just smiled and said. "It is good to see you with a smile again, sister... I hope you get well soon. Who knows, if father allows it, and you display some aptitude, you just might get a chance to join me on my journey someday."

Lana just smiled and said. "I really hope so too, brother... by the way... I have been meaning to ask... why is your name sound Elvish?"

Edgar just smiled as he answered the question for his son. "Well, daughter, I named Tyrion that way because of my friendship with a elf called Tyrion during the war. He perished during the war, and I honor his memory by bestowing his name, as well as the name of the capital city of Quel'thalas for my child. Incidentally, Tyrion was one of the Order of Light, and he is a priest as well."

Tyrion just smiled wistfully at that memory, and said. "Indeed... by the way, sis... I think you had better get more rest. You had a tough time, and I think you would feel better by resting some more. I'll make sure that I come by before I leave the town after finishing up the quests that are left in this town, alright?" He then gave her a brotherly hug, and gently kissed her on her left cheek, which she did the same for him before letting him go.

"Thank you for your concern, brother... and make sure you come back and say goodbye to me alright?" She said gently to him, as she laid back onto the bed, feeling tired once again, the day's events catching up to her, as she soon closed her eyes and fell asleep once more.

"I will, sister..." Tyrion said gently as he tucked her in, and gently put the blanket over her to keep her warm, before turning to his father and said. "Then I will be off to take care of those kobolds in the mine, father."

Edgar nodded and said. "Very well then, Tyrion... be safe my son... may the Light be with you."

Tyrion nodded and said. "You too, father." He then got up and left the room, and then exited his home and went to meet up with his friends.

Gideon, who saw him approaching gave him a warm grin and then asked. "Ahh, you are back... " He then paused for a moment, his face turning serious for just a moment. "So, how did it go?"

The concerned expression was seen on Lynette's face, and Tyrion replied with a warm smile on his face. "Everything went well, you two. Lana has told us her story, and I and my father had already accepted her into the family, and the feeling is mutual with her. My father would probably send a message to my mother, as well as the Marshal to confirm his decision, and it would not be long before Lana becomes Lana Silvermane on an official capacity."

Both his friends breathed a sigh of relief, and they both soon had an equally warm smile on their faces as they heard the news that they have been waiting for.

"That is indeed a piece of good news, Tyrion... I know you and your father well enough to tell that she would be in a loving family once again, and both of you would do anything to keep anyone from hurting her ever again." Gideon said, and Lynette nodded, since that was what she was about to say to Tyrion as well.

"Thank you my friends... I am grateful for that. Shall we go then?" Tyrion said with a grin as he turned and walked in the general direction of the Echo Ridge Mines, but Gideon stopped him. "I don't want to bother you old friend... but aren't you forgetting something important?"

Tyrion was about to ask what his friend meant, when suddenly he realized what Gideon was talking about. He then smiled and said. "I suppose you are right old friend... I will take care of some minor things that I need to do before I go with you two. Could you two wait for me, once again?"

"Sure, Tyrion... we still need to obtain some more instructions from our respective trainers anyway, so why don't we go to the Abbey together? We are all headed that way, anyway." Lynette said with a soft smile on her face.

Tyrion nodded and said to his friends. "Sure, why not? Come on, let's go." He then headed towards the Abbey, with his two friends not far behind him. Once they arrived, he then turned to them and said. "I'll go see Brother Sammuel right now. Let's meet up outside the Abbey once we have finished obtaining new abilities from our respective trainers."

The three of them nodded together, and took separate paths once again. When Tyrion arrived, Brother Sammuel greeted him with a broad smile on his face. "Greetings, young Tyrion... it seems that you are making some name for yourself here in Northshire. Thanks to you and your two companions, we are now free from the threat of that thief Padfoot, and we can now concentrate our efforts to defend the settlement without any worry from those brigands."

Tyrion just nodded and said modestly. "It is nothing, Brother Sammuel. It is the duty of an Alliance citizen after all. By the way, do you have anything new to teach me? I feel that I am now more than capable to handle new abilities."

Brother Sammuel looked thoughtful for a moment, and then nodded and said. "Well, I suppose so... since you and your companions did take down Padfoot and his ilk, after all. Very well then, let me impart to you all the knowledge that I can to aid you on your journey."

He then started instructing Tyrion more on the arts of the paladin, going over the basics and demonstrating the skills that he possessed, and asked Tyrion to do the same. After some time, he nodded and said. "Well done, young Tyrion... you have learned all that I can teach you. This should be enough to aid you and your companions on your journey, at least for a little while. You have to seek out other trainers though, if you wish to advance your skills as a member of the Order of the Silver Hand."

Tyrion nodded and bowed politely to Brother Sammuel and said respectfully. "Thank you for your tutelage, Brother... and may the Light be always be with you." He then bowed his head towards him one more time, before leaving and met his friends, who were waiting for him in front of the Abbey.

"Ready to go now, Tyrion?" Gideon said with a grin on his face. "Did you finish your training under your trainer?"

Tyrion nodded and said. "I sure have, old friend, and I assume the both of you are also done as well. Now... let's get going to Echo Ridge and finish that task that the Marshal has given us."

The three of them nodded and then made their way north towards the Echo Ridge Mines.

End of Chapter 3

Please Read and Review

Authors Note: Whew, the Northshire Arc final is longer than I thought it would be, due to the heavy dialogue content in it. And so, I think I have to split this Final into two parts, to make it more manageable for me to write. Hope that you guys don't mind. Of course, I am going to carry out my first poll for this story. Would you guys like Lana to be a part of Tyrion's party in the future, or would you like her to stay a normal civilian? What kind of profession should Lana take on, should she join Tyrion's party? Your choices are either a) Priest, b) Mage or c) Rogue. Please vote for this as well, alright? I will give you guys around three or four chapters to vote before the poll is closed, alright? Thanks!


	5. Northshire Valley Final Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own World of Warcraft. It belongs to the great team at Blizzard, who year after year, produces great games. Thanks you guys.

Chapter 4

It wasn't long before they came close to the edge of the mines, where indeed a bunch of Kobold Workers were camped there. Unlike the Vermin that the three of them fought much earlier, these kobolds wore blue overalls, and held in their hands was a stone hammer of some sort.

Gideon then turned to his two friends and said. "Alright, now that we are here... we had better start planning on how to deal with those guys. Something tells me that they are no pushovers, and I am certain that they are stronger than those Kobolds we found loitering in the woods near Northshire."

Tyrion nodded and said. "Indeed... judging by their posture and the weapons they carry, that much is obvious, I believe. What do you think Lynette? You have always been the smartest one out of the three of us. Can you think up of a plan for us to achieve our objective while avoiding getting too much damage in the process?"

Lynette blushed slightly at Tyrion's praise of her abilities, even though that she knew what he said about her was true. She soon recovered her composure, and then began to think, trying to come up with a plan that, as Tyrion had said earlier, would achieve maximum results with minimum damage.

She then looked at them and said. "Well, judging by their numbers, it would be best to pick them off one by one... but in this case, I think it would not be possible, since unlike their weaker kin in the woods, these workers would probably help out each other when one is attacked. So, the logical method we should consider right now is for me to provide some long range support by bombarding these workers with my fire magic, while you two can stand guard in front of me and pick off any survivors that are not killed by any of my fireballs or fireblasts, which should be easy enough by then, due to the injuries that they will incur. But before that, I suppose we should strengthen each other up before the attack as well."

Tyrion and Gideon both thought for a moment before Gideon spoke. "It is a good idea... we used a variation of this plan when we dealing with the Defias earlier, so there is no reason why it would not work against opponents that are weaker than the Defias."

Tyrion thought for a moment and nodded. "I agree as well... by this time your spells and our abilities should be able to take care of these vermin with ease. We'll go by our original plan then."

The three of them nodded unisonly, as they got ready for their assault. Once again, Tyrion fortified the group with his Aura of Devotion, and Gideon let out a loud war cry, strengthening his comrades' resolve, though it attracted the attention of several kobolds who started moving towards their location.

This was what the three of them were waiting for, as Lynette concentrated, a ball of flame once again appearing at the tip of her staff, before she directed it towards the lead kobold, seriously wounding it, and Tyrion moved forward and swiftly killed it with his sword, and slashed to the right, wounding another which fell to Gideon's blade.

The kobolds did not flinch even if their some of their brethren perished, though some of them did seem afraid and ran away to the mines, while the others swarmed forward, hoping to take down the three adventurers through their greater numbers. But it was not to be, as the mixture of fireballs from Lynette, combined with the physical prowess of both Gideon and Tyrion made short work of them, and when it was over, there were kobold corpses strewn across the entrance of the mine.

Both Gideon and Tyrion breathed rhythmically as they cleaned their blades with a cloth they always carried, wincing slightly as they felt some pain from the areas where the kobolds were able to strike them with their small hammers.

Tyrion then concentrated and stretched out his hand towards Gideon, and a small curtain of light enveloped him, healing him of all his wounds. He then said. "Well, I suppose that concludes the quest that the marshal has given to us. Though I suppose, I didn't expect that such a large number of those kobolds were camped outside the mine."

Gideon nodded and said. "Thank you for healing me, Tyrion, though I do think you need to freshen up a little yourself. But I suppose you are right... this doesn't look good at all, with such large numbers amassing near the mine. If those kobolds were of any indication, which could mean that there might be more hiding inside the mines."

Tyrion nodded and said. "Indeed... let us get back to the Abbey and report this to the Marshal. I am sure he will be most interested to learn of this development. But before that, let us freshen up a liitle. Lynette... do you have some mana potions available?"

Lynette shook her head and said. "Not at the moment, though I hear some of those spring waters that we have can restore a bit of our mana."

"I see..." Tyrion replied as he took one of his healing potions, and drank just enough to heal him, and he put it back into his storage space, before he took out two waterskins full of spring water, and handed one to Lynette, which she accepted gratefully. They both drank the spring water, and felt immediately refreshed, before discarding the empty waterskins and started their trek back towards town, but not before looting the kobolds' packs for anything useful.

The moment they stepped into town, they quickly made their way towards the abbey and found Marshal Mcbride. He then nodded at them and said. "Ah good, the three of you are back. So... how is the situation at the kobold camp?"

Tyrion then told the Marshal about the number of kobolds that he and his friends fought in front of the Echo Ridge Mines, with Gideon and Lynette confirming their friend's story. "... and that's about it, Marshal."

Marshal Mcbride fell silent for a moment, giving some thought to the information that Tyrion and his friends brought him. He then spoke in a solemn tone. "I see...thank you for bringing this information back to me. Frankly, I don't really like the thought of these kobolds running around freely in our mines. Nothing good can come out of this, that I am sure."

He then paused for a moment, and counted out forty pieces of copper coins and handed it to Tyrion. "Here, take this as payment for the information that you have given me... and I hope you are not too tired to go back to the mines, since I need you three to return there as soon as possible."

Tyrion divided the copper coins as equally as possible between the three of them, and he nodded. "I don't think we need much rest, Marhsal... I think we can carry out the quest after we take a short break to sell off some of the loot we obtained earlier. Why don't you tell us about the task that you wish for us to carry out?"

Marshal Mcbride nodded and said with a serious expression on his face. "Well, according to the information that you three have given me, it is obvious to me that the Echo Ridge Mines needs to be purged. I need you three to return and enter the mines and help to clear it of kobolds. There is no time to waste... the longer those kobolds are left unchecked in the mines, the deeper the foothold they have in Northshire. It is an outcome that we all wish to avoid."

Tyrion nodded and said. "I agree with your assessment, Marshal. From what I gather and experienced, those kobolds might be small in stature and generally a nuisance... but in greater numbers, there's no telling what they are capable of in greater numbers."

Marshal Mcbride nodded and said. "Indeed... and since it is likely that they are definitely more dangerous, would you like additional assistance in taking down those kobolds in the mines?"

Tyrion shook his head and said. "I do not believe so, Marshal... though I am curious, who do you intend to send with us on this mission?"

"That would be me..." A familiar voice came from behind them, and the three of them turned to see who was the one who spoke. Tyrion smiled at the young woman that approached them. "Miss Evelyn, it is good to see you again. I see that you have applied yourself to the path of the mage... may I ask why you have chosen this path?"

Evelyn just smiled at Tyrion and said. "It is indeed good to see you again, Tyrion... and as to why I chose to become a mage, well... right before I was forcibly drafted into the Defias, there was a retired old mage that stayed near my home. He once mentioned that he could see some glimmer of potential within me to study the magical arts, and had began training me in some rudiments of the arcane, but he passed away before he managed to teach me anything substantial. So, by then all I knew was mainly theory, as well as how to tap into the arcane, but that's about it."

Tyrion nodded and said. "I see... well, it is indeed a pleasure to work with you, Miss Evelyn. An additional hand is indeed appreciated, especially if we are expecting heavier opposition within the mines."

Evelyn nodded and replied. "You are most welcome, Tyrion... now, I believe we have some business to deal with in the mines, do we not?"

Tyrion nodded and said. "I believe so, Miss Evelyn. Let us depart then... we have some kobolds to take care of." He then bid the Marshal farewell for the moment, and the four of them started off towards the Echo Ridge Mines once again.

After a bit of walking, they soon reached the entrance of the mines, which was by now devoid of any kobolds, since they had cleared the area in front of it earlier. Tyrion then turned to his friends and said. "Well, this is it then... let us go in, and take care of those kobolds." The four of them nodded in unison, as they steeled themself and then stepped into the mines.

The interior of the mines was exactly like every mine, with greyish green colored rock walls supported by wooden support beams that were seen all around them. As they journeyed through the mines, they encountered some more kobold workers, which they dispatched easily, since they had Evelyn to provide additional fire support for their group.

They soon encountered a different group of kobolds, which was slightly larger than the workers. Like the vermin that they encountered near Northshire, these kobolds were wearing brownish red overalls, but the only difference was that these particular kobolds were carrying pickaxes, which wasted no time in approaching them with a deadly intent.

The four of them drew back and Lynette and Evelyn once again concentrated their energies, and slowly but surely, an orb of flame began to form on the tips of their staffs, before they launched them towards the kobolds, killing the first two kobolds that were in front of the group, and burning some of the kobolds behind them lightly, due to their proximity to the fireballs' impact.

The kobolds let out squeaks of outrage at the death of some of their brethren as they charged the party of four, intent on avenging their fallen, only to be systematically cut down by Tyrion and Gideon, who by this time had managed to synchronize their moves in tandem of each other, empowering each other with war cries and seals, as they hacked their way through the mob, the two female mages supporting them with fireballs, firing them at random kobolds, aiding them in their grisly work.

Some time passed before the carnage came to an end and the front interior of the mine was littered once again with kobold corpses, some of them smelling quite badly, since some of them were burned quite badly, and the four adventurers wrinkled their noses at the smell of burnt kobold flesh. They sifted through the corpses, picking up some picks and storing them into their personal spaces, and other loot from the kobolds' packs, before the four of them exited the mines.

The four of them felt relieved when they smelled the fresh breeze that was in the air, and the smell of the forest as they emerged from the mines.

"Phew... I never thought that I would be out of there. It is good to breathe in some fresh air again after smelling the burnt flesh of those kobold vermin." Lynette commented as she turned to her comrades.

Evelyn nodded and said, agreeing to what her fellow female adventurer had stated. "Indeed Lynette... the smell of those burnt kobolds is too... foul to describe and I am glad that we do no longer smell it."

Both Gideon and Tyrion also nodded, since they didn't really care for the burnt smell of kobolds, and judging by the way the mine tunnels are constructed, it would be some time for the smell to really go away.

"I suppose so, Lynette... but let us be glad that we are now no longer breathing in foul air... anyway, let us get back to town. Let us report this to the Marshal so that he knows that the mines, at least part of it, have been cleansed of kobolds." Tyrion said to his friends, who nodded in agreement, before he turned and walked back towards the direction of the town, and they followed closely behind.

In the meantime, they took their own time to breathe deeply in and out,taking in fresh air into their lungs to rid themselves of the foul smell that they had just experienced in the mines.

They soon arrived in town and made their way straight to the Abbey, where they met Marshal Mcbride, who smiled at them warmly. "Ahh, good, you have all returned. Have you completed the task that I have assigned to you four?"

Tyrion nodded and said. "Indeed we have, Marshal." He then told the Marshal briefly about what they have done in the mines, with his friends and Evelyn adding their own accounts to his report to the Marshal.

Once Tyrion has finished recounting his account of the mission that he had been given, Marshal Mcbride nodded and said. "I see... well, it is good that you are beginning to build your own reputation for yourself, Tyrion. You have my respect, something that you have earned for yourself, and not based upon your birthright, which is good."

He then turned to all four of them and said. "And the Stormwind Army expresses its gratitude to the four of you. If what you say is true, the numbers of the kobolds in the mines is slightly more than what I had expected, but thankfully, you all had put a dent into their numbers at least. I will send others to take care of this, so you all can rest easy for the moment."

The four of them nodded and was about to leave when the Marshal said. "Oh that's right; please hold on, the four of you. I just remembered something that I must say to all of you."

"What is it, Marshal?" Tyrion replied for the four of them, curious as to what the Marshal had wanted with them. "Is there another task that you wanted us to carry out for you?"

Marshal Mcbride just smiled and shook his head and said. "Not really, Tyrion... but it concerns the four of you... rather Evelyn, Gideon and Lynette. Oh, and the equipment that is part of the reward for this quest can be collected from Deputy Willem, for both you and Gideon."

Tyrion nodded and said. "I see... do you wish for me to leave for you to speak to them in privacy?"

The Marshal shook his head and said. "There is no need for you to leave, Tyrion... you can hear what I have to say to your companions." He then turned to Gideon and Lynette and said. "Normally, I would send you two alongside Tyrion to go to Goldshire, but in this case, I would like you to stay in Northshire for the moment."

"Is there a reason why you asked us to stay, Marshal? Not that Lynette and I mind though... since you probably would have something good in mind for the community." Gideon replied and the Marshal nodded.

"You are right, Gideon... the reason I asked you to stay is because you two are one of the few senior volunteers here in Northshire. I would like you two to assist your respective trainers in training the many new volunteers that have just arrived, not to mention to work with Evelyn and the reformed Defias, who have also joined into the service of Northshire Valley." He said crisply, and turned to Evelyn and said. "And your job, Evelyn, is to be the liaison between your comrades, and the volunteers that is now helping to restore order to Northshire Valley."

Evelyn nodded and said. "There shouldn't be any problem. I'll go speak to my comrades, and have them work hand in hand with the new volunteers."

Both Gideon and Lynette also agreed and Lynette replied. "I see... well, I suppose I won't mind staying in Northshire for a bit... and I am sure that Gideon won't either. I suppose that you would send us out when you feel that our services here are no longer needed, right, Marshal?"

Marshal Mcbride nodded and said. "Indeed... well then, I won't take up any more of your times then. You four are dismissed for the moment. And Tyrion... before you decide to depart to Goldshire, whenever you decide to do so, come and speak to me. There is a letter I need you to deliver to Marshal Dughan, who is stationed there."

The four of them nodded and they took their leave of the Marshal, and exited the abbey. Once they were outside, Gideon spoke to Tyrion. "Well, I suppose this is goodbye for now, old friend... I look forward to seeing you in Goldshire, once our tasks here in Northshire are completed. Come on Lynette... let's go."

He then turned and left, and before she followed, Lynette spoke to Tyrion. "Don't worry, Tyrion... we'll watch out for your sister for you in your absence. It is a promise from the both of us. So if you decide to go, do so with a easy heart... and do not worry for her. We'll keep her safe."

"Thank you, Lynette, both of your thoughts and good intentions are appreciated, and I am grateful and relieved that you both are watching out for her." Tyrion replied, and Lynette nodded, before she followed her partner.

Evelyn also said to him before she left him alone as well. "If you decide to go, do not worry. As I said before, Lana is like a sister to me, and so is she to the rest of us. So do not worry, we will keep her safe from any harm. It's a promise, our promise to you."

Tyrion nodded, and gave her thanks before she nodded and left him alone. He then went to Deputy Willem, who handed to him the three pieces of equipment that was part of the reward to get rid of the kobolds in the mine, and he quickly changed into them in the abbey, before stepping out again to go to town again.

He then went to Brother Danil, whom he sold some of the junk that he had collected from the kobolds' packs and bodies earlier, and he also went to Dermot Johns, who is the resident leather armor vendor in Northshire, to sell off the few pieces of leather armor, gloves and belt that he occasionally found on the kobolds.

He soon returned home, where he was greeted by his father. "Welcome back son... have you finished the tasks that the Marshal has given to you?"

Tyrion nodded and said warmly to his father. "Yes, father I have... though I suppose that I would have to travel to Goldshire alone for the moment, it seems. By the way, how is Lana?"

"She is well, my son... in fact she has already awakened and she is now at the dinner table setting up dinner. Why don't you join us for dinner, and we can talk all about what why you have to go to Goldshire alone for the moment."

"Alright, father." Tyrion replied, as he followed his father to where the dinner table was, and he saw Lana, who walked up to him, and gave him, a hug which he returned briefly before he let her go.

"Welcome home, brother... it is good to see you again." Lana said gently, a soft smile on her face, and Tyrion was relieved that she looked slightly better now and that she was feeling better.

"I feel the same, sister..." Tyrion said as he sat down at the dinner table with Lana and his father. "It is good to see that you are feeling better now."

Lana nodded and said gently. "Thank you brother... it is all thanks to you and father who have been very accommodating by giving me time to rest and recuperate." She then started to serve the food that she and Edgar had cooked together earlier before Tyrion returned.

Before they ate, they prayed a blessing of the Light, before they started eating. Edgar then asked. "So, my son... please tell us about why you have to travel to Goldshire alone for the moment? I had assumed that Gideon and Lynette would have traveled with you on your trip there."

Tyrion nodded and replied. "We actually had the intentions to do so, father... but apparently the Marshal had other ideas about the matter." He paused for a moment, before he continued. "The Marshal wanted Gideon and Lynette to stay for a while, since they are currently one of the few senior volunteers here in Northshire."

"I see..."Edgar replied thoughtfully. " I can see what you mean, my son... but what does it have anything to do with the Marshal's decision for them to remain here in Northshire?"

"Well, the Marshal wants them to stay to help out in the training of the new volunteers that are expected to come to Northshire, since he is seriously understaffed, and there is only so many students that the current trainers here in Northshire are able to mentor." He the paused for a moment, before he continued. "Not to mention that he wants them to work together with the former Defias members, with Evelyn as their liaison."

Lana smiled as her brother mentioned her protector during her brief days in the Defias, whom she had already considered as something like a sister. She then said. "That means that Evelyn would be the unofficial leader of the former Defias members here then, brother?"

Tyrion nodded and Lana smiled and replied. "It is good then... she is the one of the eldest amongst us, and most of us who were forced to join the Defias had already considered her as our unofficial big sister. Choosing her to be the liaison is a good on the Marshal's part."

Tyrion nodded and Edgar turned to his son and said. "So, my son... when are you going to depart to Goldshire."

He thought for a moment and said. "Well, I was planning of resting for a day or two before I go to Goldshire. Will that be alright for you, father?"

Edgar nodded and smiled warmly at his son. "I suppose it would be alright, my son... since it gives you some time to spend some time with me and your sister. Now, let us eat."

Tyrion and Lana nodded and then started eating, and once they were finished, Tyrion helped his sister with the dishes, just like when he was with his father, before they all retired to bed.

During the two days that Tyrion stayed in Northshire, he spent some time with his sister, aiding her as best as he could, as well as in the minor errands that the town's people asked him to perform. He even took some time to aid Brother Sammuel in training any new paladins that were in town.

Soon, it was time for him to go, and he looked at his sister and father before he said. "Then I will be off then... sister, father. May the Light be with both of you."

Edgar nodded and said. "May the Light be also with you, my son."

Lana gently hugged her brother and said softly; unshed tears were shimmering in her eyes as she spoke. "I am going to miss you; brother... may the Light be with you. Do try to write often to home as often as you can, alright?"

Tyrion hugged his sister back before letting her go, and said. "Don't worry, sister. I will. I will try to return home whenever I can to visit both you and father."

Lana nodded, and stood with Edgar, as Tyrion bid them goodbye, and then he walked towards the Abbey and saw Marshal Mcbride, who smiled as he saw him.

"Ahh good, you are here." He said, as he handed a scroll, capped with a seal and said crisply. "Here is the document that I want delivered to Marshal Dughan. Do assist him in whatever tasks he gives you there, alright Tyrion?"

Tyrion nodded and said firmly. "Of course, Marshal. I will." He then took the letter from the Marshal, and then stored it in his storage space, before he exited the Abbey, and started to walk out of Northshire in the direction of Goldshire, eager to resume his journey to assist the Alliance as best as he could.

End of Chapter 4

Author's Note: And thus ends the Northshire Valley Arc. It has been a long writing process, but it is finally finished. Next up in the following chapter is the beginning of the Goldshire Arc, so please look out for that. Also, here are the current results of the poll about what profession you all think Lana should be.

Priest: 2

Mage: 1

Rogue: 1

It seems many of you (at least those who reviewed) want Lana to be a Priest. But like I said earlier, I will give you guys aroudn five more chapters to vote before I finalize the decision as to what Lana would be. So, if you all want your choice to be the one that is going to win, please review, and state your preference.

Another thing is is I need those reviews to let me know if the direction that I am writing is correct, so please do not hesitate to point out anything that you feel that I might need to improve, alright? Thanks guys, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter.


	6. Announcement

Announcement

Hey there people... it's been a while I updated, I know. I just wanted to let you all know that I am undergoing a lot of RL issues, some good and some bad. But I want to reassure all of you that I have no intention in giving up updating my stories, and I am in the process of writing up chapters for some of them.

I ask that you all bear with me, since updates are going to be quite slow, but I will try to crank out chapters like I used to alright. Once again, I apologize for the delay in updates for all my stories.

My apologies and best regards

Andy a.k.a steinerdavion2183


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